Two Kingdoms United
by Sassylou
Summary: Since they were children, their futures have been arranged for them. In order to unite their two kingdoms, it was decided that they would one day marry. But perhaps it was more than just an arranged marriage. Perhaps they were destined to be together, destined to create a world better than anything they had already known. Fem!Merlin. Warning, many characters will be OOC.
1. One: The Treaty

**So I moved this story over from my other account that I had. I'll be doing a bit of editing before I post it all here, though, so it might be just a tad bit different from when I first posted it, in the other account.**

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 **Explanation of World**

 **So, before we get into the story itself, I want to explain the dynamics of the world that I've set up for this fic, then I'll go into the first chapter, which isn't all that long. It's very different from the show, in a lot of ways. I took quite a few liberties. So I know that not everyone will like the changes that I made, and that's okay. It really won't hurt my feelings if you don't like it. But if you don't like it, then please don't be rude. Just stop reading. Normally, I like for people to tell me when I'm getting too far off track, but with this story, it starts so far off track that I really don't want to have anybody telling me it's nothing like the show. I know that the characters are OOC. I know that some of the stuff that I changed is weird. I don't need to be told that, if that makes any sense. And I hope I don't sound rude about it, but seriously. I already know these things. It's a weird idea that I had. I changed some pretty major things, so that will have an impact on the behavior of many of the characters. Hopefully, you will think it was done well, but I can't make any guarantees.**

 **The Purge never happened. For the sake of this particular story, Morgana and Arthur are full-blooded siblings (both children of Uther and Ygraine), though Morgana is the younger of the two. I believe she was the older one, in the show. But I can't remember for sure. Uther and Ygraine were able to conceive naturally both times, so Ygraine is still alive. Arthur's birth was not a magical one. Arthur is only about a year or so older than Morgana, though. So, magic is still legal in Camelot. It may not always be trusted, but it is legal. Uther prefers to ignore it as much as possible and pretend it doesn't exist. Morgana has the same abilities as a Seer, but she has not yet manifested any other magical skills. Uther knows about it, but he would rather pretend that she doesn't have the magic. So he refuses to speak to her about it or give her any sort of training. When she was younger and first manifesting her visions, he consulted a foreign sorcerer who was also a healer and scholar, Gaius, who explained the ability, and taught Morgana not to fear the dreams, like she did in the show. But Gaius only visits occasionally-he lives in the kingdom of Avalon (I'll get there in a minute). Even if he was available, Uther wouldn't allow him to visit more often. He also forbids Gaius from helping Morgana enhance her skills. Gaius is only allowed to do/say what he needs to in order to keep Morgana from accidentally using her magic to harm others, as that can happen when one begins manifesting their magic. Oh, and magic is something that you are either born with or not in this story. It can't be learned. Not really. One can learn to sharpen his or her own ability, but they cannot perform spells if they do not have magic within themselves already. Also, Uther inherited Camelot from his own father. He didn't conquer it, like they've alluded to in the show.**

 **Balinor and Hunith are both alive and are married and are the king and queen of Avalon. In this story, Avalon is not the afterlife or whatever it was in the show. It's a kingdom, smaller than Camelot, but nearby. I'm saying a three day journey between the two, though I can't remember what it was in the show. The center of the kingdom is located on an isle at the center of the lake. Even though I think that island was different than the Isle of the Blessed in the show, I'm sort of combining the two for this fic. They call the isle there at the center of the lake the Isle of the Blessed. Instead of the single tower thing the isle had, it has a decent-sized castle (bigger than the run-down one the Isle of the Blessed that the show had, but smaller than Camelot's castle). The castle is well maintained, and it doesn't have wyverns living in it. Although there are dragons that fly around occasionally, and the roofs are set up to be able to hold the weight of a dragon. The kingdom also includes the lake itself, and the forest on the banks around the lake. I imagine that three-fourths of the land around the lake is covered in forest. And that the last portion of that land leads to a very large valley, which is also part of Avalon. Dragons are not extinct, or even close to being extinct. They live in the valley in Avalon, called the Valley of Wings (I know, not very creative). Gaius is the court physician to Balinor (as well as Hunith's uncle). The house of Emrys (which is the ruling family of Avalon, much like the Pendragons are the ruling family of Camelot) also tend to be dragonlords, though they aren't the only ones who can be. Unlike in the show, it's not only the sons who can inherit the ability. And it's an ability that they're born with, not that they inherit with the death of the parent. And, in this story, each dragonlord tends to bond with one specific dragon. They can call forth as many as they want/need to from the eggs, but there's usually just one (the first one) that they tend to bond with, almost like dragons and riders in the Eragon series (almost, but not to the same extent).**

 **Biggest change: Merlin is a girl! So of course she is going to be the most OOC of them all. Plus, Mordred is her younger brother. Because, hey, why not? It seemed like a fun idea, so I rolled with it.**

 **Now, onto the story. This first chapter is really short, and is more of a prologue than anything else, in all reality. Just like most of my fics, I'm not sure when or how often my updates will be. I might have several that I post back-to-back, and then have a lull. I tend to write in bursts. And then I have incredibly long lulls. Seriously. They're ridiculous, and I'm truly sorry about that. To be fair, I've been extremely busy lately. The school year has been a nightmare, and I'm getting married, and just all kinds of stuff. So yeah. I can't tell you how often the updates will be.**

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 **CHAPTER ONE: THE TREATY**

Balinor Emrys stood near the edge of the meadow, watching the king opposite him warily. Balinor had only recently inherited the throne of Avalon, but Uther Pendragon had been ruling Camelot for nearly five years.

Balinor had also inherited the so-called war with Camelot, a war that he had never agreed with and a war that he wanted to finally bring to an end. It was some sort of silly feud between Uther's father and Balinor's father, the details of which no one seemed quite certain of. Since Uther had begun his own reign, the war had dwindled to nothing more than a few occasional squabbles, almost always instigated by Balinor's father. Balinor suspected that Uther wanted an end to this war as much as he did.

Balinor had called this meeting with Uther as one of his first decisions as the new king. They couldn't afford petty squabbles with each other.

The king of Avalon studied the group from Camelot. There stood King Uther, tall and proud, with dark hair and green eyes. Beside him was his wife, Queen Ygraine. She was pale in nearly every way. Pale skin, pale hair, pale dress. But her eyes were a sparkling blue. He didn't see either of the Pendragon children, though that was hardly surprising. Prince Arthur had only reached his second year two months prior, and Princess Morgana had yet to reach her first year. Balinor had left his own queen and new daughter at his castle. Merlin was only four days old. He wouldn't risk her safety at a tenuous meeting such as this, even though he was flanked by his most trusted and skilled sorcerer-guards.

"It is time to end the fighting that our fathers began, once and for all," Balinor called to the other king. "This feud has gone on long enough. It was theirs, not ours."

The king of Camelot didn't respond, but he looked interested in what was being said, so Balinor proceeded speaking. "I do not wish to continue it. I want my daughter to grow up in a peaceful world, Uther, as peaceful as possible. I know you want the same for your children. I want our kingdoms united as they've never been."

Uther nodded in agreement. "There is unrest amongst the other kingdoms. Alone, Camelot and Avalon are weak. Together, they are strong. I want to put this feud behind us as much as you do, Balinor."

"Then we will meet to discuss a treaty. We only have to decide where to -"

"We will travel to Avalon when the time comes, of course," Ygraine interrupted. At the moment, the two groups were just at the border of the two kingdoms, a halfway point for each of them. Uther sent his wife a slightly irritated look, but he didn't argue with her. "Your daughter is much too young for traveling, and I doubt Queen Hunith would want to be parted from her infant so soon. We wouldn't dream of holding these discussions without her. So we will come to the Isle of the Blessed, within the fortnight."

Balinor inclined his head, attempting to hide his grin. He had not known that the queen of Camelot was so bold. "Until then, Your Majesty."

* * *

After nearly a week of discussions held within the borders of Avalon - during which time Arthur and Morgana showed a great deal of interest toward the young Avalonian princess and her occasionally glowing eyes - a treaty was agreed upon between the two kingdoms.

As part of the alliance, it was decided that Prince Arthur and Princess Merlin would marry, shortly after Merlin's eighteenth birthday. They would be given a chance to court long before the wedding took place, of course.

It was hoped that, in time, they would grow to love each other, as Uther and Balinor had both grown to love their own spouses. Uniting the two kingdoms in such a way would make them both stronger. Neither kingdom was very large on its own, and there were rumors of several of the surrounding kingdoms trying to expand. An alliance was strongly needed if they wanted to survive.

According to Avalonian law, only males could inherit the throne. Avalon would remain its own kingdom, even after Merlin married Arthur. If Balinor and Hunith had a son, he would take the throne after Balinor. If not, the throne would go to a nephew of Balinor's, a toddler by the name of Galahad. Merlin would move to Camelot to become its queen, at Arthur's side. And if any of the nearby kingdoms decided to try their luck with conquering their neighbors, they would find Camelot and Avalon fiercely united.

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 **I don't know what color Uther's hair was in his youth, but Anthony Head's hair was fairly dark in his youth, so I'm going with that. And that's where Morgana gets her dark hair.**


	2. Two: First Meeting

**CHAPTER TWO: FIRST MEETING**

 _Nearly seventeen years later…_

Arthur Pendragon had always known that he was promised to another.

This knowledge had never stopped him from flirting outrageously with any and every girl he found attractive, but it did stop him from taking any lovers. As the Crown Prince of Camelot, he couldn't afford to sire any children out of wedlock, but especially not as the betrothed Crown Prince of Camelot. Near his tenth birthday, his parents had taken him aside and explained to him the treaty with Avalon, and the wedding that was part of that treaty.

His wedding.

He would marry Princess Merlin of Avalon, a girl two years his junior, whom he had never met. Well, he had met her once, but he'd only been a toddler at the time. He didn't remember anything about her. Since that time, he hadn't seen his future bride again.

That didn't mean, of course, that he didn't know anything about her. He knew plenty. His mother and father had both felt it important for him to know as much about his future wife as he could, though why they hadn't visited even once in the past seventeen years was beyond Arthur. In spite of the treaty that was in place between the two kingdoms, neither of the royal families had made the journey to visit the other.

She was a sorceress, a powerful one. His father wasn't entirely thrilled about that, though he had known it was a possibility when he signed the treaty all those years ago. Uther was nervous around magic. He preferred to pretend that it didn't exist. Most of the people of Camelot didn't even know that their princess possessed a bit of magic herself. Uther didn't talk about it, and he didn't allow anyone else to talk about it.

Arthur himself was more curious than he was nervous. He had seen some terrible things done by magic, but he had also seen some wonderful things done by magic. It could be used for both good and evil, just like any other talent or skill.

Merlin was also a dragonlord - or she would be in the near future, from what he understood. He wasn't sure why the term was a masculine one, even for the female dragonlords. But he supposed that dragonlady simply didn't sound as impressive or awe-inspiring. It still seemed strange to him to call a woman a lord. Then again, most of the customs of Avalon were strange to him. He knew that she would most likely bring a dragon with her once she moved to Camelot. The castle had, of course, been prepared for such an event. There was a series of caves beneath the castle large enough for a full-grown dragon to travel through. And the wing in which Arthur's chambers were located opened onto a rather large field of grass.

Arthur had heard rumors that Merlin had a tendency to be rather bold and impulsive, but he had grown up with Morgana. He was certain that the Avalonian princess couldn't be any worse than his own sister. He was certain that no woman could be worse than his own sister.

The people of Avalon loved their princess, as far as Arthur had heard. She listened to them, and went out of her way to see to their needs, doing things that many members of royalty would often refuse to do. She was willing to work alongside her people, tending to their crops with them. Uther didn't exactly approve of this behavior, stating that such things were below a princess. And Arthur knew that she wouldn't be allowed to continue once she moved to Camelot. Not while his father was king. Arthur, however, admired her willingness to work with her subjects. He had no intention of forcing her to stop if it brought her happiness, once he was king. In fact, it was something that he hoped to emulate one day.

With a sigh, he stood from his bed and made his way to the window. In the courtyard below, servants were preparing the royal carriages, loading the possessions of the royal family into them. The journey to Avalon took nearly three full days, and they would be staying for a week.

The door to his chambers suddenly burst open, and Morgana came sauntering in. People often commented on how little like siblings they looked. Arthur was like their mother, all blonde and golden, with blue eyes. Morgana, however, took after their father. Her hair was thick and black, and her green eyes matched Uther's. Her skin, however, was fair, like their mother's.

"Well, dear brother," she began, "are you ready to meet your future bride?"

He wasn't, but he squared his shoulders and said, "As ready as I'll ever be, I suppose." He had been preparing for this, in a way, for nine years. If he wasn't ready by now, he was never going to be ready.

Morgana studied his face, even as she sank gracefully into the chair behind his writing desk. "I could never do it," she admitted softly. "I could never marry a stranger, not knowing if I would even like him, let alone love him."

"Be glad you weren't born first, then." It was a burden cast on the heir to the throne. Had Morgana been born before her brother, she would be the one facing an arranged marriage, since Camelot had no law against women ruling the kingdom, as Avalon did. As it was, who she married was not of much concern. Her husband would have no claim to the throne of Camelot, so Morgana was free to choose her own spouse. If Arthur died with no children, even if he was married, Morgana would be the next ruler of the kingdom. Merlin would sit on the throne beside him, but she would have no real authority, other than as an adviser. Unless Arthur named her as his heir until they had children of their own. But that was a conversation that was still quite far off. Very few rulers of Camelot did such. Even Uther hadn't done that with his own beloved wife.

But Arthur was not his father. He wasn't sure what he would do once he was king. He knew that there were some things that he would likely change. He loved and respected his father, but he didn't agree with all of the laws and policies that Uther had in place.

Arthur sighed, rubbing his face. "Besides, she won't be a stranger for long. The wedding won't be for another year. We'll have plenty of time to get to know each other."

"What if you hate her? Would you still marry her?" Now Morgana looked curious. She had lost her teasing tone for the moment - it would be back, of course. Morgana could never go for very long without tormenting her brother.

"Yes," he whispered. He would do his duty. And of course that was one of his worst fears, that he would hate his future bride. He didn't want to be trapped in a loveless marriage. He wanted what his parents had. He knew it was possible. Uther and Ygraine's marriage had also been arranged. And now they were fiercely in love. He'd heard that it was the same for King Balinor and Queen Hunith. He hoped that he and Merlin could have that as well. "Let's hope I don't hate her, then."

"She has magic."

Arthur arched an eyebrow. "So do you," he countered. Was she trying to make him more nervous? She wasn't being very successful. "Magic doesn't bother me. Or frighten me. You should know that."

Morgana rolled her eyes. "I don't really have _magic_. I have visions. According to Gaius, it's not quite the same thing."

"Not quite, but close. And also according to Gaius, it can develop into magic."

"Be that as it may, it hasn't. Therefore, my magic is nothing like Merlin's magic. I've heard that she can perform some spells without uttering a word."

Arthur felt his eyes widen at that. "That's impossible. No one can perform a spell without saying the words." And how had Morgana heard that before Arthur had? He made it a priority to learn about his future wife. He didn't want to be blindsided by anything.

Morgana shrugged her shoulders, a smirk pulling at her lips. "Those are the rumors. Does it frighten you now, brother?"

He lifted his chin stubbornly, smoothing his expression. He would never admit to Morgana that it did frighten him. Just a bit. He had never heard of anyone being able to perform magic without using words. If Merlin was truly able to do that, then her magic was powerful indeed. "No."

"Liar."

Rolling his eyes, Arthur left the room. She had always been able to tell when he was lying. And since he refused to admit the truth, there was no point in continuing the conversation.

Morgana followed after him, and they bickered as they made their way toward the courtyard. It was a common occurrence. While they loved each dearly, they could rarely go more than an hour without arguing.

Almost as soon as he arrived, his mother pulled him into a tight embrace. "Don't be so nervous," she told him. "Everything will work out."

He hid a smile. He normally hated that his mother had always been able to simply know how he was feeling. Like his father, he wasn't comfortable voicing his emotions or his doubts. He was a future king. He was supposed to always appear strong. It wouldn't do for his people to see his weaknesses.

But today, her words were a comfort.

* * *

Merlin stood in front of her open wardrobe, glaring at the dresses hanging there. She really hated wearing dresses. They were uncomfortable and inconvenient. Leggings and a long tunic were much more practical. You could actually move in them.

Unfortunately, her mother had informed her that she was required to wear dresses for the next week, as it wouldn't be appropriate for her to run around in a tunic and leggings while the royal family of Camelot was visiting. She was supposed to try to make a good impression, apparently. She would much rather prefer to stay in the tunic and leggings she was currently wearing, though she knew her mother would never allow it. She'd spent most of the morning in Alice's garden, helping her weed, and was covered in dirt. Of course, she was still wearing the wide-brimmed hat that protected her fair skin from getting too much sun. She burnt quite easily.

Out of the corner of her eye, Merlin saw a flash of black and green. She narrowed her eyes. Her younger brother, at seven years of age, had an annoying habit of trying to steal her possessions. Some days, she was convinced that his only goal in life was to irritate her. And he often found ways to escape his tutor, Cerdan, in order to do so.

"Mordred," she called sweetly.

A sudden silence fell over her chambers. And then there was a quiet giggle, most likely made unintentionally, near the window. Two small boots poked out from beneath the velvet curtains. He had never been the most talented at choosing hiding spots. "Mordred," she said again, moving slowly toward his hiding place. "What did you take?"

"Nothing," he replied, and she pounced.

But Mordred managed to slip right past her grasp, and ran out the door, his black curls flopping wildly. It looked like he was holding…

She gasped. "My necklace!" It had been a gift from Queen Mab, a very rare thing to receive. She was the spirit of the Impenetrable Forest, which she hardly ever left. But she had visited Avalon on the day of Merlin's fifteenth birthday, and had gifted her the necklace. It had some sort of spell enchanted into it, but Queen Mab had not told her what spell. She had only said that Merlin would know when to use it. It was widely known than any gift from Queen Mab was to be treasured. Whatever spell the necklace held, Merlin knew it was something that she would need at some point in her life.

So of course Merlin had to give chase to her brother. She couldn't let anything happen to that necklace.

She knew that she was going to be in trouble once her mother heard about her running around the castle in her preferred outfit of tunic and leggings, especially in the dirty state they were in. And Hunith would certainly hear about it. She always did. Most of the time, her parents didn't mind her wardrobe choice, even if she was a princess. They knew how uncomfortable she was in dresses, and Avalon was a fairly isolated kingdom. It didn't always follow the normal social conventions that many of the other neighboring kingdoms followed.

But today, the royal family of Camelot was arriving. They were staying for an entire week, which meant that they would be there for Merlin's seventeenth birthday celebrations.

And her dragonlord ritual.

Merlin didn't understand why they had been invited in the first place. She knew that Camelot and Avalon were allies, but that was no reason to invite the entire Pendragon family to her dragonlord ritual. That was something sacred. Usually only the family and friends of the one completing the ritual were allowed to witness it - in addition to the High Priest and High Priestess of the Old Religion required to oversee it, of course. And the beloved of the future dragonlord, if there was one. But never had the entire royal family of another kingdom been invited.

But Merlin wasn't promised to anyone, though she did fancy a young man who was passing through Avalon, Lancelot. She knew nothing would come of that attraction, though. He was going to Camelot to become a knight, she'd found out. And she was a princess. She could possibly convince her father to allow her to marry someone not of noble birth, considering the fact that she would never inherit the throne, but it wouldn't be easy. Princesses weren't supposed to marry knights. They were supposed to marry princes.

She had never met any of the Pendragons. She certainly wouldn't consider them friends. She wasn't sure that she wanted them at her ritual. There were already going to be far more people there than normal, simply because she was the princess.

But there was no arguing with her parents once they got an idea into their heads. And for whatever reason, they had deemed it a good idea to invite the entire royal family of Camelot. And whenever Merlin asked her parents about their reasoning, they found ways to change the subject. She knew they were hiding something from her. She would get the answers eventually. Perhaps some of the Pendragons would even be able to shed light on the subject.

There was another flash of black and green, through a doorway leading outside the castle. She rushed after her brother and began weaving her way through the people in the marketplace. Nobody seemed surprised, though. They were accustomed to seeing the princess chase the prince around. Even in a tunic and leggings, with her hair stuffed under the hat, she was easily recognized by her own people. She spent enough time among them that they always seemed to recognize her.

Freya, one of the chambermaids and a close friend to Merlin, called out to her, "What did he do now?"

"He stole my necklace!" she yelled in reply, as she raced past.

She turned a corner, only to hit something solid and warm that sent her sprawling onto her back on the ground. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her brother disappear into the crowd. "No!" she cried, scrambling to her feet. She _had_ to catch up to him before she lost him. Before she could run after Mordred again, a hand clamped down on her arm.

Her gaze followed the arm attached to the hand, until her eyes met the glimmering blue ones of the man holding her. He was only an inch taller than her, but she had always been tall for a girl. He was attractive, she supposed, even with the glare he was sending in her direction. He had soft-looking blonde hair and nice cheekbones. His lips were full…and currently curled into a condescending sneer.

"Excuse me," he demanded. "Watch where you're going."

He was obviously not a local, or he would have realized who she was. He was probably a member of the party from Camelot. He was dressed in a simple red tunic and black trousers, with tall leather boots. The clothing was simple in design, but rich in fabric. Whoever he was, he was well paid. Perhaps he was a personal servant to the king. Regardless, he was still clutching her arm rather tightly, and she needed to catch up to her brother. "Release me. Now."

"Not until you apologize."

She narrowed her eyes at him. She was sure that Mordred was halfway back to the castle by that point. She wanted to try to catch the little thief before she had to meet her parents at the steps to greet Camelot's royal family. She was already running late, and she knew she was going to be enough trouble as it was. "Release me," she repeated.

"Do you have any idea who I am?"

"A prat. Now release me."

He didn't. Instead, his grip tightened slightly. She was going to have a bruise there. "Apologize," he said again.

"I have nothing to apologize for. You are the one who has taken it upon yourself to rudely grab me. Now, I'm only going to say it once more. Release. Me."

He still didn't.

So Merlin twisted in his hold, trying to pull away. But the Prat seemed to have been expecting it. He used her own momentum against her, trapping her back against his chest. It didn't help that he was quite a bit stronger than her, physically. She could feel the solid strength of his muscles against her back. His arm came across her own chest, and then dropped to her waist as he gave a cry of shock.

"You're a woman!"

She supposed that she did look like a man, in her loose tunic and leggings. The tunic was large enough to hide her feminine figure - though in all reality, she didn't have much of one to begin with. And she had pulled her hair up under the hat. She rarely thought about how she looked to other people. Her citizens knew who she was, even when she was wearing clothing more suited to a man than a woman.

A cheeky response was on the tip of her tongue, until she looked into the crowd and saw Finna. Her retort fizzled into nothing. She winced. By the look on her former governess's face, she had been sent by Hunith to find Merlin. Merlin was not looking forward to that conversation. In fact, she was planning to avoid it for as long as possible.

With a burst of magic, she pushed the Prat away, barely noticing when he fell to his backside. She was too busy running from Finna's stern gaze.

* * *

Arthur fumed as he pulled himself to his feet and brushed off his trousers. How dare that young man - woman - refuse to apologize to him! And then, to push him down with magic? He was the Crown Prince of Camelot! She had no right to do such a thing.

He glared after her, long after her thin form was gone from view. He was still angry when he made his way back to the rest of his family. He had lagged behind to delay the inevitable meeting of his future bride, which he was now regretting. Perhaps if he had stayed with them, he would not be receiving the glare that his father was now sending his way, no doubt in response to the dirt still clinging to his trousers.

Morgana leaned close to him and whispered, "What happened, dear brother?"

He just shook his head. He knew that if he started to tell her what had happened, he would end up causing a scene. He had a tendency to yell when he was angry. He would tell her later that afternoon, once they'd been settled into their rooms.

Only a few moments later, they had reached the castle steps.

King Balinor and Queen Hunith stood regally at the top of the stairs. They both wore gold circlets atop their heads. Balinor's clothes were simple, but well-made and heavily embroidered, in shades of black and dark blue. Hunith wore an elegant green dress, and had her dark hair loose on her shoulders.

Standing near them was a boy of about seven years old, with curly black hair and blue-grey eyes. He could only be the young Prince Mordred, the heir to the Avalonian throne. He was being held in place by a man, a servant of some sort. The servant was talking quietly into Mordred's ear, while the prince stubbornly shook his head and clenched his fists tightly.

Princess Merlin was nowhere to be seen.

Balinor smiled warmly at them. "Welcome to Avalon. We hope -"

He was interrupted by a young woman rushing out of the castle, her partially braided black hair hiding her face for the moment. She stood in front of the young prince, her back to Arthur and his family. She held out her hand. "Mordred, now," she demanded.

Balinor looked a little embarrassed. Hunith looked downright mortified.

Mordred clenched his fists tighter, his face set. There was a moment where it seemed like he was going to refuse, and then he sighed and placed some sort of trinket into her hand.

Then she turned around, and Arthur felt his anger rise up again. Her eyes flickered up and rested on him.

"You," they accused at the same time.

It was the woman from the marketplace. But now she was wearing a sapphire blue dress that matched her eyes nearly perfectly. Her hair was no longer hidden under the cap, but flowing in soft curls to the middle of her back, except for a few sections which were braided. Without the hat, her hair hid her slightly large ears. She had cheekbones that could cut glass, and her lips were plump and rather inviting, though he would never admit that out loud.

They were also twisted into disgust.

Hunith sighed. Then, in a whisper so quiet that Arthur almost missed it, she asked, "Merlin, what did you do this time?"

"Nothing!" the princess lied.

This was his future wife? He was going to have to marry this woman. He was going to have to spend the rest of his life with her.

He suddenly wished a hole would appear in the ground in front of him, and swallow him up. He didn't dare to look at his family to see their reactions. He could imagine the expressions on their faces only too well.

Merlin looked Arthur over disdainfully. "Well, I certainly don't want Prince Prat at my dragonlord ritual. He's rude and doesn't deserve to witness something so sacred. Consider yourself uninvited," she said to him.

"Merlin," Balinor said sharply. "That is no way to speak to your future husband." Then he winced, as though he hadn't intended to say that. Hunith sighed, closing her eyes. And Merlin…

Merlin spluttered. "My _what_?"

Had she not been informed that part of the treaty included a union between herself and Arthur? It certainly seemed as though she hadn't, if the complaints she was giving as her mother firmly pushed her into the castle were any indication. "Mother, you can't expect me to marry him! He's an ass! He has absolute no -" The castle door closed, cutting Merlin off.

An awkward silence filled the courtyard. Arthur glanced around.

Balinor seemed to be deeply embarrassed.

Morgana was very clearly struggling not to laugh.

Ygraine looked surprised, but not as upset as Arthur would have expected.

Uther looked ill, and like he was wishing that he'd never agreed to the marriage.

Arthur was wishing that he'd never agreed to the marriage, either. Merlin obviously had no sense of propriety. She was a dreadfully mannered princess.

"I am so sorry about her behavior," Balinor finally said.

Uther didn't look impressed with his apology. "You never told her of the marriage?"

"No," was all the Avalonian king said.

"Is she at least aware of the customs of Camelot?" Uther demanded. "As she will be living there rather soon. Arthur has been studying your kingdom's customs since he was a mere boy. I would hope you've done the same with your daughter."

"She's had lessons." Balinor signaled one of his guards, and then the Pendragon family was being escorted into the castle.

* * *

Arthur held his tongue until he was in his chambers, with Morgana trailing along behind him. Their personal servants - George and Guinevere - were being shown around the castle.

"She has to be the most ill-mannered princess I have ever met!" he exploded, the moment the door was firmly closed.

Morgana was making an obvious effort not to laugh. Arthur did, grudgingly, have to give her credit for trying. She very rarely felt the need to hold back her amusement. "I like her. She's refreshing."

"She's ridiculous!"

"What happened? You've never met her before today. Yet you both acted as though you have."

He sighed, running his hand through his hair. "She ran into me this morning, when I fell behind you, Mother, and Father. She ran around the corner like a heathen, and collided with me. And then she had the audacity to refuse to apologize!"

Morgana burst into laughter. "Oh, it's going to be so entertaining to watch you try to court her."

Arthur gave her a pained look. He wasn't sure that he wanted to try to court her. He knew that he would, because that was what was expected of him, but the idea did not appeal to him. "She was wearing a tunic and leggings. She looked like a man."

"She's too pretty to look like a man."

"Well, she did," he grumbled. Thinking back on it, though, he wasn't sure how he could have mistaken her for a man, even briefly. She was rather pretty. She wasn't beautiful in a conventional way, like Morgana was, but more in an endearing sort of way.

But that was beside the point.

"Give her a chance, Arthur. You may end up liking her."

He snorted in disbelief.

* * *

Hunith sighed as she leaned against the door of her and her husband's bedchambers. She looked over at the king, who was rubbing his eyes tiredly.

"We should have told her," she said. She wasn't blaming him. They had both made the decision not to inform their daughter of the marriage agreement. It was a poor decision. That fact had been made painfully clear to them. "We should have told her a week ago, at the very least. We should not have surprised her with the news today, in front of the Pendragons."

"I know," he agreed. "I don't know what I was thinking, letting it slip just then. We were naïve to think that it would be better this way. How is she? Were you able to talk to her?"

"She's furious. She says that she refuses to marry him. I finally convinced her to allow him to at least court her, which was part of the original plan anyway. I want her to give him a chance. She reluctantly agreed to that much. She is also very furious about the fact that she's expected to move to Camelot after the celebrations this week."

Balinor sighed and shook his head. "I love her free spirit, but she has been so stubborn lately."

Hunith quirked an eyebrow at him. "My dear husband, she has always been stubborn. This is nothing new."

"I blame you," the king teased.

Hunith narrowed her eyes slightly at her husband. "I believe that we are equally responsible for our daughter's stubborn tendencies." Then she sighed, moving to look out the window. She hugged her torso. "I know that this marriage is important, but I just want her to be happy. She's going to struggle, living in Camelot. King Uther isn't exactly welcoming towards magic. It's going to be difficult for her to be happy there. Do you think she can be happy with Prince Arthur, though? Do you think he can help her adjust to life there?"

With a sigh of his own, Balinor moved to stand behind her, covering her arms with his. "Prince Arthur seems to be an honorable young man. He can be a bit arrogant, as I understand it, but he has a good heart under the arrogance. The knights of Camelot are loyal to him as well as to his father, and I believe that says a lot of his character. I think she needs to keep an open mind about him."

The queen silently agreed. She only hoped that her daughter would do precisely that, and wouldn't shut Arthur out. She wasn't sure how it would affect their alliance with Camelot if the marriage fell through.


	3. Three: Tense Conversations

**CHAPTER THREE: TENSE CONVERSATIONS**

Arthur settled into one of the chairs at the edge of the training field. He had been invited by King Balinor - though he had seen no sign of the king thus far - to observe the training of Avalon's famous sorcerer-guards, men trained in the art of defensive sorcery. The Prince of Camelot had gladly accepted. He was rather curious. He was in charge of most of the training of his own kingdom's warriors. He always enjoyed watching other warriors train. Some of the techniques his men used now had been learned from watching other kingdoms' training. He wasn't sure how much he would be able to adapt to his own warriors, as Avalon's sorcerer-guards used magic, but he was willing to watch and to learn.

He wasn't surprised that his own father, while also invited, had declined the offer.

Avalon's training field was designed almost like an obstacle course, if nature could produce an obstacle course. Nothing was man-made, as far as Arthur could tell. Each of the obstacles was something from nature - trees, pits of sand, thick fog. He had been told that this was to train the sorcerer-guards to be able to use only nature and their own powers to protect their masters and their kingdom.

Arthur was fascinated. His own knights learned how to use their surroundings to their advantage, of course, but they weren't able to harness the very _power_ of nature. His men could adequately use nearly any known weapon. But Avalon's men and women…the only real weapons they needed were words. They each carried a sword, but the blade was merely a backup weapon, if their magic somehow failed them. They were famous throughout all the kingdoms for their skills. It was very difficult to best one of Avalon's sorcerer-guards.

He had never imagined that training with sorcery could be quite so elegant, either. Because that was exactly what this was. It looked like a dance more than a training session. These men and women truly looked elegant as they trained. There was no clumsiness to their movements. Something about it was graceful and almost choreographed.

"I'm assuming the one in the fancy helmet is in charge," a familiar voice noted. Arthur briefly glanced at Morgana as she sat down beside him. Guinevere, her maidservant, joined George where he sat behind his master.

Arthur nodded, watching the sorcerer-guard wearing the fancy helmet. "I believe he's the captain of the sorcerer-guards. He's the only one wearing a helmet that actually covers his face. And the rest of them seem to be looking to him as the leader, even though he hasn't really given any commands." He also seemed rather lanky for someone in charge, but Arthur knew that appearances could often be deceiving. And Avalon's sorcerer-guards didn't rely on physical strength the same way that Arthur's knights did. Their strength was in their magic, not their muscles.

"He's quite small, even with all that padding." The sorcerer-guards of Avalon didn't wear armor and chainmail like Camelot's knights did. Instead, they wore flexible leather armor. The only metal they wore were simple helmets over fabric hoods. Their armor wasn't nearly as bulky as the chainmail that Arthur was accustomed to, which may have been one of the reasons that their training looked so graceful.

"That may be, but he's obviously quite skilled and powerful. I just watched him turn one of his men into a tree briefly. A tree, Morgana. He wasn't even looking at the man." At the moment, he was sparring with one of the younger trainees, in what appeared to be a test, much like the test Arthur gave his men to allow them to become knights. It had been rather unnerving to see such a powerful display of magic, when it appeared as though the one performing the magic was hardly even aware of what he was doing.

"Hmm, that is a lot of power. I would hate to be on his bad side. Have you spoken to Princess Merlin since our arrival yesterday?"

Arthur's fists clenched and unclenched. He really would rather not discuss this. "No," he answered shortly. Perhaps she would let it go, and find some other topic to discuss.

"Why?"

Of course she couldn't simply move on. She never did. And he knew better than to try to worm his way out of the conversation. She would only continue to pester until he talked. "I'm fairly certain that she's avoiding me at the moment. I haven't been able to find her all morning. What were her parents thinking, not telling her about the marriage? It's been arranged since were _infants_. She should have been told much sooner, given a proper chance to become accustomed to the idea."

Morgana gently patted his arm. "I'm sure she'll come around."

Arthur snorted. He highly doubted that. "Would you, if you were in her situation?"

His sister gave a snort of her own. "Hell no. I would be tempted to murder Father if he did that to me. But Merlin is not me. I don't think that she stays angry as long as I do. I'm sure she'll come around."

"How would you know, Morgana? Have you spoken to her?"

"No, but I have spoken to her people. I walked through the marketplace yesterday, asking about her. They absolutely adore her, Arthur. She's very kind, if rather cheeky, and quite intelligent. She has a good heart. She can often be found helping her subjects with their daily tasks. She goes out into the fields and personally helps with the harvest."

"I know," he said softly. He had, of course, already known that about her. He knew that she had a good heart. "She still hates the idea of marrying me."

"Who wouldn't?" she teased. Arthur just rolled his eyes. Morgana's favorite thing to do was torment him. Deep down, he knew that she loved him, even if she had a strange way of showing it sometimes. "I'm sure she'll come around. She has a good head on her shoulders. She just needs to get over the shock. My reaction, were I in her situation, would have been much worse."

Arthur chose not to argue with his sister. For one, he had learned long ago that it rarely did him any good. And for two, he was fairly sure that she was right, from everything that he had heard about Merlin. He hoped that they could learn to at least get along, for the sake of their kingdoms, even if they never fell in love. This marriage was important to the treaty between Camelot and Avalon. He wasn't particularly thrilled about the idea of being married to someone he didn't love, but he was the heir to the throne. He had to do what was best for his people.

Fortunately, Morgana was distracted from their conversation by a sudden and tense silence filling the training field. The trainee, apparently, had deflected a spell from the captain, and then used a counter spell to knock the captain onto his backside.

Everybody seemed to be holding their breaths, which Arthur took to mean that the captain didn't often get knocked down.

And then: "Princess!"

Arthur looked around, expecting to see Princess Merlin walking toward the training area. He didn't see her anywhere, though. Frowning, he looked back at the captain, who had propped himself up on his elbows.

The captain started laughing, which instantly released the tension that had filled the air. Then he pulled off his helmet, releasing a cascade of long, thick, partially braided, black hair.

Arthur cursed. It wasn't a _he_ after all. He should have known better than to assume. Despite the fact that the kingdom itself could only be ruled by men, Avalon's sorcerer-guards could be men or women. He had already seen nearly as many women on the training field as men. "Damn it. She did it again," he muttered. He really shouldn't have been surprised that the captain was not a captain at all, but was actually Princess Merlin.

Morgana laughed. "She is quite talented at hiding her feminine figure. I'm a little impressed, I'll admit."

Arthur's eyes roved over the Avalonian princess. "Her figure really isn't very feminine," he said, almost without thinking. "She has narrow hips and a small chest. Very easy to hide under men's clothes and make it look like she's a man."

His sister rolled her eyes, trying to hide a smirk. "Well, it sounds to me as if you've been studying her figure, dear brother."

He blushed slightly. If he had, it was only to try to understand how he could have mistaken her for a man the first they'd met. Not that he would admit that to _Morgana_. He would never hear the end of it.

Down in the training field, Merlin was still laughing. She had gotten to her feet, though, and was brushing off the back of her trousers in a very unladylike fashion. "Stop looking so terrified, Gilli. You're _supposed_ to knock me flat on my ass! And you did it much faster than I had expected. Congratulations. You've just been promoted."

Gilli took off his own helmet, grinning nervously. Several of the other trainees and sorcerer-guards clapped for him.

Merlin clapped her hand on his shoulder and began to leave the field. She happened to glance up to where Arthur sat, and met his eyes. Almost immediately, her smile morphed into a scowl. She continued walking with her chin held high.

She was nearly off the field when she suddenly stopped, her back towards him. Even from this distance, Arthur could see her sigh heavily. Then she turned and walked toward him. "How long have you known?" she demanded sharply, once she was only a few feet in front of his chair. She glared down at him. With her standing, she was taller than him. It was surprisingly disconcerting to have her looking down at him.

He frowned. He had no idea what she was talking about.

She rolled her eyes. "About the marriage, prat. You didn't seem very surprised by my father's announcement, so I'm assuming you already knew that we were engaged to be married against our wills."

"Oh, yes. I knew. I was ten when my parents told me."

Merlin gave a displeased snort. "Ten. So you were well accustomed to the idea. I wish my parents had had the decency to tell me sooner."

An awkward silence filled the air. Arthur, unsure of how to respond to her bitterness, glanced at Morgana for help. But his sister was watching Merlin, her eyes full of amusement. She would be no help to him. Even if she was looking at him, he highly doubted that she would choose to aid him. She enjoyed his discomfort far too much.

Arthur cleared his throat, scratching the back of his neck. "Uhhh…Perhaps you would like to go for a ride later today, Princess Merlin?" He supposed horseback riding was as good an activity as any to begin the courtship process. It was something that they could do together that wouldn't require much conversation. He had always been fond of horses.

Merlin crinkled her nose in disgust. "No. I hate riding. Besides, we live on an isle. There are no horses." He felt stupid for even suggesting it. They'd all left their horses on the other side of the water. The isle, where the castle of Avalon was located, didn't have any horses. How could Arthur have forgotten that? "Idiot." Then she simply walked away.

Arthur stared after her, his mouth slightly open. While he had never seriously courted any girls, he had flirted quite often. No girl had ever rejected him as Merlin just did. "She said…no."

Morgana laughed. "I am definitely going to enjoy watching you try to court her."

The prince just scowled. Why did Merlin have to be so difficult?

* * *

Balinor cleared his throat awkwardly as he cut his meat. Despite the fact that the meal had started nearly fifteen minutes earlier, King Uther had yet to say a single word. He still looked furious about the incident that had happened the day before.

Queen Ygraine didn't seem very upset by the situation. She and Hunith had struck up a conversation about their favorite musical performers within the first few minutes of the meal, and they had managed to keep finding new topics to discuss ever since.

Balinor regretted coddling his daughter as much as he had, especially in this instance. The situation would have been much better had he simply told his daughter about the engagement. At the very least, he should have told her before Camelot's royal family had arrived. But he remembered when his parents had informed him of his own impeding marriage, when he was only fifteen. He and Hunith hadn't married until he was twenty-one.

He had been very resentful for those six years, until he'd gotten to know Hunith well enough to fall in love with her. He hadn't wanted Merlin to spend years angry at her parents or resenting her future, as he had.

But perhaps a few months would have been all right.

The conversation between the queens lulled. Hunith sighed, giving the monarchs of Camelot a warmly apologetic smile. "I am very sorry for our daughter's response yesterday. We worried that telling her any sooner would lead to her finding a drastic way out of the union."

Balinor barely managed to hide his snort in his wine cup. Merlin could get quite creative when she wanted to be. With enough time, he was sure she could have come up with something.

Ygraine frowned slightly. "Is she that hateful of the marriage?" she asked, and she genuinely sounded concerned for Merlin's feelings on the matter. Balinor knew that this queen would make it her personal goal to create a happy life for Merlin in Camelot. He was grateful to her for that. At least he knew that his daughter would be in good hands with Queen Ygraine nearby.

Hunith sighed before explaining, "She…dislikes being told what to do. She has a tendency to do what she wants. She's a very stubborn one."

Ygraine gave a small laugh, her eyes flickering to her husband briefly. "I can certainly understand that dilemma. I have my own share of stubborn people in my life to contend with."

The King of Camelot gave his wife an exasperated look. "You are no different, my dear. Where do you think Morgana gets it?"

"And where does Arthur get it?" she countered.

Uther chose not to respond to that.

His wife smirked, looking back at Balinor and Hunith. "Arthur wasn't particularly thrilled about the marriage, either. But he has never shied away from his duty. Perhaps he will be able to bring her around. And perhaps she will be a good influence on him, as well. I admire my son's loyalty to his responsibilities, but he needs to learn to listen to his heart a bit more. It seems that Merlin is quite skilled at that. It is my hope that they can balance each other out."

Balinor exchanged a look with his own wife. It would be a miracle if Arthur could bring Merlin around. "She is intelligent. She's simply stubborn. I'm sure she will do the right thing, in the end. It just may take her time to do it."

Ygraine nodded. "I must admit," she began again, changing the subject once more, "I am rather curious about the dragonlord ritual. I've never seen one."

"It is a sacred ceremony to us," Balinor told her. "Very few people outside of the dragonlord families get to see it."

She nodded her head. "And I am quite honored to be one of those few people invited to witness Merlin's ceremony."

The rest of the meal was spent discussing the preparations for Merlin's birthday feast and the following dragonlord ritual. They didn't discuss the wedding, which would take place in Avalon near her eighteenth birthday. It was nearly a year away, and Balinor felt that it was a topic better avoided for the time being.

* * *

Merlin sat on one of the small hills filling the Valley of Wings. This was her favorite place in the kingdom of Avalon. She could see the lake in the distance, with the isle at the center, the isle that housed the castle she called home. But the Valley…There was just something so peaceful and soothing about the stretch of lush green grass.

She'd gone out there to avoid Prince Arthur, and his horrendously awkward attempts to court her. All. Morning. Long. She did have to give him credit for trying, she supposed, though she still wasn't happy with the situation. She just wasn't ready to truly give him a chance yet, despite the promise she'd given her mother. He wasn't a completely terrible person, it seemed.

He was still a prat, though.

One of the newest hatchlings, a male named Kinley, waddled up to her. Being only about a week old, he was still too young to fly. That didn't stop him from trying, though, and it seemed his most recent attempt had left him a bit unbalanced. He nuzzled against Merlin's hip.

"What an adorable baby," a soft voice said. "Where is its mother?"

Looking behind her, Merlin saw Morgana and her maid, Guinevere, climbing up the hill. Merlin arched an eyebrow at the princess of Camelot. She certainly hadn't been expecting to see Morgana there. "Dragons are very independent creatures. They don't usually have much to do with their own young once they hatch. What are you doing out here?" It only took a short boat ride to get from the Isle of the Blessed to the Valley of Wings, but then it was nearly an hour's walk to get to the hill Merlin was currently sitting on.

"I've heard tales of the beauty of the Valley of Wings. I wanted to see it for myself, before the ceremony in a few days. I wanted a chance to enjoy its beauty simply for the sake of its beauty."

Merlin felt herself smile. Even though she had no hand in the creation of the land itself, she had always been proud to call the Valley of Wings part of her kingdom. "It is quite beautiful here. I'm surprised you were allowed to come out here without any guards, though."

Morgana smiled, settling on the ground beside Merlin. Guinevere followed suit. Kinley looked curiously in their direction, but didn't move from his spot against Merlin. "We have guards, some of our own in addition to a few of your famous sorcerer-guards. I simply encouraged them all to stay near the boat. I'm surprised you were allowed to come out here without any guards," she countered. "You aren't even accompanied by your handmaiden."

"I am perfectly able to protect myself, as anyone in these parts knows all too well. And I don't have a maid." Merlin smirked slightly at Morgana's look of surprise - it was rather unusual for a princess to not have a handmaiden - and felt the need to tease the other princess. "Here in Avalon, we know how to dress ourselves."

Morgana gave a quiet snort of laughter. Guinevere covered her mouth to cover her own laugh. "Gwen does so much more than just dress me," the older princess said. "She is my dearest friend. I would never be able to survive the bloodlust of the court without her."

Merlin shook her head. She hated court politics. She hated how cruel and unnecessary they could be. And she knew that most kingdoms were like that. They were filled with hate and greed, and trusted friends turned on each other. "Avalon isn't like that. The court politics here aren't perfect, of course, but they aren't…vicious." It was one of the things that she had always loved about her kingdom.

"Camelot can be."

That made Merlin scowl. "I suppose I will be learning all about the politics of Camelot soon enough. Since I am engaged to marry your brother," she grumbled bitterly. Not only was she being forced to marry a man she'd never met before this week, but she was also being forced to move to his kingdom.

She had always known that she would not rule Avalon, not once Mordred had been born. Women didn't rule Avalon. It had never really bothered her. She didn't like the idea of controlling an entire kingdom. The idea of being responsible for that many lives intimidated her. And she had always known that it was a possibility that she would one day marry and move to her husband's kingdom.

She had just thought that she would have a voice in the matter. Perhaps not a loud voice, but a voice nonetheless. She had also thought she would have more time before she was required to move. But she didn't have time. Even though it would be a year before she was actually married, she would be going to Camelot with her future husband when they left Avalon, less than a week from now. The wedding itself would take place in Avalon, but that would be one of the few times Merlin would be able to visit her home.

Not that Merlin had been included in the making of any of these decisions.

"You should not hate Arthur," Morgana told her quietly. "He can be a bit of an annoying bully sometimes, but he has a good heart."

Merlin quirked an eyebrow at that ridiculous statement. "How can he be a bully _and_ a have a good heart?"

Morgana laughed at that. "Arthur is a complex and confusing person. He somehow manages to be kind and cruel, arrogant and self-doubting, clever and oblivious, all at the same time. He generally tends to make the right choices, though, when it truly matters."

"Hmm. Complex indeed. I'm still not happy about being forced into marriage with him."

Morgana gave Merlin a stern look. "As you should be. I don't think my father would dare do such a thing with me. I would give him hell if he tried." Her green-grey eyes flashed dangerously.

Merlin had a feeling that Morgana wasn't the type of person to accept things she didn't want to accept. There were times that Merlin would eventually give in, after she'd complained about it enough. "I think I'm going to like you, Princess Morgana," she told her.

"I already like you," the princess of Camelot replied, grinning. "I have a feeling you will make Camelot much more exciting than it's ever been. And I've never seen my brother so lost, which is quite entertaining for me. He's never been romantically involved with anyone, but he is highly skilled at flirting. He has never encountered a woman immune to his charms, with the exception of myself and Gwen here."

Merlin arched an eyebrow in disbelief. "He has charms?"

Gwen chuckled softly. "When he wants to."

Kinley moved from Merlin's side to sniff curiously at Morgana, allowed the foreign princess to lightly rub his head and neck. "What happens at a dragonlord ritual?"

Merlin sighed, not sure what she should say. "We don't usually talk about it," she said. But perhaps it would be all right. They were going to be there, after all. They would get to see it. Surely it wouldn't hurt to tell them about it beforehand.

Morgana looked disappointed. "Oh."

"But I'm sure an exception can be made. I don't know how…exciting it will be for you. I've always thought the beauty of it came mostly from the magic felt there, but I'm not sure how much of that magic can be felt by those who don't possess it themselves. Do you see that waterfall there?" Merlin pointed. Morgana and Gwen followed the direction of her finger, nodding when they saw it. "Behind it is a large meadow, where the dragons build their nests. On a prospective dragonlord's seventeenth birthday, she walks through that meadow, searching, listening, for that first dragon egg to call out to her."

Merlin smiled at the thought. She'd been told that it was an incredible feeling, that reaching out. To have something so majestic and graceful and powerful call out to you...She was rather excited to experience it.

"What happens if an egg doesn't call out to her?" Morgana wondered. "It would seem like such a shame to go through all those preparations, only for them to be for nothing. And I would imagine that would be mortifying, to have nothing happen at your ritual."

Merlin shrugged. "If no dragon eggs calls out to her, then she knows that she hasn't inherited the dragonlord abilities. It rarely happens. You know, even before the ceremony, if you have that connection to the dragons. There are signs." Merlin scratched Kinley behind the ears, even as he cuddled into Morgana's lap. "Once she decides on an egg, she calls the dragon forth by giving it a name."

"That's all? There's no magical incantations?" Gwen wanted to know.

Merlin shook her head, smiling slightly. "That's the power of the dragonlord."

"Are the dragons only called forth during a dragonlord ritual?"

"No. A dragonlord can call forth a dragon any time. But that first dragon, Morgana…Oh, there's a strong bond with that first dragon. It's an amazing thing to witness. Kilgharrah, the first dragon that my father called forth, is in many ways his best friend. Whichever dragon I call forth will probably accompany me to Camelot."

"Yes. My father has prepared a space for him or her."

Well, that was a pleasant surprise. At least Merlin would have some connection to her home while she lived in Camelot, and she wouldn't have to fight for it. She had been expecting to have to argue with King Uther about taking a dragon with her. She was relieved that he had already prepared for that. "When a dragon hatches, the air is filled with the magic of the earth. It's an incredible feeling."

Morgana smiled. "I can only imagine."

Gwen sighed wistfully. "It sounds beautiful. I am sorry that I will not be able to see it for myself."

Merlin frowned, her gaze flickering between the other two women. She hadn't been happy with her father for inviting several guests to her dragonlord ritual without her knowledge or permission - or for not allowing her to actually uninvite Arthur as she'd wanted to and said she was going to. But she liked Morgana and Gwen, and she found herself wanting both of them there. "Why won't you?"

"King Balinor did not invite our servants. Only the royal family."

Merlin snorted, rolling her eyes. Her father could be aggravating sometimes. "Well, that's ridiculous. It's my ritual, not his. Guinevere, I am personally inviting you to attend my dragonlord ritual."

Gwen looked rather startled at that statement. Morgana looked pleased. "Princess Merlin, I couldn't possibly -"

"Nonsense. I want you there. And please, no titles. I prefer just Merlin."

The servant nodded once.

Merlin smiled. "Arthur's servant, on the other hand, is absolutely not allowed. George, I believe his name is? I think I heard him telling a joke to one of my servants. A joke about _brass_." Merlin was vaguely horrified at the thought. She hoped that she had misheard him, but she had a feeling that she hadn't. "Please tell me that I must have heard him incorrectly."

Morgana laughed. "That sounds like something George would joke about."

Merlin shuddered. How awful. As she was to be married to Arthur, she certainly hoped that she wouldn't have to see George much, but she had a sinking feeling that she would. If he was Arthur's personal manservant, that meant he would be around Arthur. Often. She was not looking forward to that.


	4. Four: Celebrations

**It's a bit shorter than the other chapters. Hopefully it's still good. I really hope that the dragonlord ritual lives up to your expectations, especially as it's not particularly long.**

* * *

 **CHAPTER FOUR: CELEBRATIONS**

Merlin stood in front of her bed, staring down at the gowns that had been delivered just that morning. They had been made specifically for her birthday feast. The gown for her dragonlord ritual had been ready for two weeks, but Merlin had refused to sit through fittings for a new feast gown when she had several that were perfectly fine. She hadn't seen any reason to dress any differently than she normally did, just because it was a feast in her honor.

This was before she had known that the Pendragons were going to be at the feast as well, of course. Not that that knowledge would have changed her mind. She still would have refused to sit through the fittings for a new feast gown. She felt it was a waste of time.

Her mother had ordered two new gowns despite her refusal.

They were both beautiful. She couldn't deny that. Merlin just had to decide which one to wear. She could always wear one of her old gowns, but she knew that her mother would be extremely irritated with her if she did that. Merlin probably shouldn't try to irritate her anymore than she already had.

So, she would wear one of the new gowns. Annoyingly, she found her decision being influenced by Prince Arthur.

In the past few days, Arthur had made several amusing attempts to court Merlin. She still thought he was an arrogant prat, but she had seen a slight vulnerability in him as he floundered against her inconsistent responses. Sometimes, she allowed him to flirt with her, though she never returned the favor. Other times, she spurned him and insulted him. She enjoyed confusing him. It was entertaining. Just as soon as he thought he had her figured out, she would change her responses.

But tonight, she wanted to wear something that would really capture his attention. She wanted him to not be able to look away from her the entire feast. She wanted him to feel enchanted by her.

The first gown was red, the same red of Arthur's cloak, the same red that symbolized Camelot. She wondered how he would feel to see her wearing his kingdom's color. The gown had a lower neckline than Merlin was generally comfortable with wearing, which would certainly get the attention of nearly every man in the room. But the sleeves were long and flowy and would only get in her way as she ate. The enchantment would be lost if she slopped her food all over herself.

The second gown was her favorite of the two, even though she was sure the first would hold Arthur's attention better. This dress was a deep sapphire blue, with intricate gold embroidery at the neckline. The sleeves were form-fitting along her arms, ending in sharp points on the backs of her hands, with a loop to fit around her middle finger. The skirt had a sheer gold overlay, making it sparkle with every shift. She knew the deep blue color of the fabric would be a beautiful contrast with her pale skin and would make her eyes darken.

In the end, it was really no choice at all. She had a difficult enough time keeping her clothes out of her food as it was.

Besides, she wasn't trying to _seduce_ the man. She hardly liked him. She simply wanted to unnerve him.

She dressed herself, and then pinned her curls on top of her head, clipping several small sapphires into it. She very rarely dressed up like this, and she honestly couldn't remember the last time that she'd actually put jewels in her hair. But her mother wanted her to make a good impression, so that was what she was going to do.

She was also really looking forward to seeing how Arthur reacted to seeing her actually look like the princess that she was. She had done as her mother had asked, and worn dresses while the Pendragons were in her kingdom. But she had kept them quite simple, and had not added any sort of accessories beyond her necklace.

She put her final touch on - her precious necklace - and left her chambers. She was already nearly half an hour late to her own feast, but that was nothing new. Merlin was always late. The staff had ways of keeping the food warm - namely magic - and the guests would be encouraged to mingle while they waited for her. The court was rather accustomed to her tardiness.

And yet, despite the fact that Merlin had never been on time in her life, her mother still sent her a stern look as she entered the banquet hall. It wasn't as if she _tried_ to be late.

Most of the time.

She ignored her mother's look, in favor of watching Arthur Pendragon.

She was satisfied to see a look of utter surprise on his face. He seemed frozen in place, staring at her. Merlin gave him an exaggerated wink, and then simply turned away. She made her way to where her mother stood near the high table.

"Half an hour?" the queen muttered.

Merlin shrugged. "I promise that I didn't do it on purpose. I was actually making an effort to look nice and be on time. It just took longer than I expected."

Hunith eyed her suspiciously. "Yes, I see that. Why? What are you up to?"

"Nothing."

"Hmm." Her mother didn't say anything else, though she obviously didn't believe Merlin.

Balinor was making his way toward his seat, and everyone else began to move as well. He stood beside his chair, between Hunith's and Merlin's, and gestured for everyone else to be seated. Arthur had been placed to Merlin's right, with Morgana beside him, and appeared to be trying very hard not to stare at her. Mordred was next to Morgana, with Cerdan keeping a watchful eye on him. Uther was at Hunith's left, his wife beside him.

Balinor looked out at the room, filled with his loyal court members and most trusted sorcerer-guards.

"Seventeen years ago today, our beautiful princess was brought into this world. And one year from now, she will be wed to Prince Arthur of Camelot, fully uniting our two kingdoms. Today, we celebrate her, we honor her. To Princess Merlin." Her father had never been one for long speeches, which Merlin had always appreciated about him. She didn't enjoy long speeches. She much preferred the food that came _after_ the speeches.

"To Princess Merlin," the guests repeated.

Merlin ducked her head, willing herself not to blush. She really didn't fancy formal events. She rather detested them. They made her uncomfortable, especially when they were in her honor. She didn't like having everyone looking at her. And she hated the response she nearly always had to such attention. She blushed. Almost every time.

Well, if she was going to have to sit through this dreadful feast - and of course she was, since it was her birthday feast - then she was going to enjoy herself.

She turned to Arthur, smirking flirtatiously.

* * *

"What is she doing?" Balinor asked his wife, as the feast ended. Those who had been invited to witness the dragonlord ritual were making their way to the boats that would carry them across the lake. There were more than Balinor had originally planned for. His daughter had apparently invited a few more guests of her own - the Princess Morgana's handmaiden, and the traveling lad, Lancelot. As it was her ritual and she was entitled to invite whomever she wanted, Balinor hadn't said a word about it. He had, of course, not allowed her to uninvite Prince Arthur, though.

Throughout the entire meal, as far as he could tell, his daughter had been flirting outrageously with the prince of Camelot. Balinor had found it rather alarming to watch. His daughter had been making it very difficult on Prince Arthur, as the young man attempted to court her. Why was she suddenly reciprocating?

"What do you mean, dear? Who?" Hunith asked, sounding slightly distracted as she gently cleaned Mordred's face.

"Merlin."

The queen glanced up then, to where Merlin was coming out of the castle, covered from head to toe in a deep blue cloak. She was actually allowing Arthur to help her into one of the boats, and she didn't look angry about it. "She's making an effort. She's been allowing him to at least attempt to court her."

"Yes, but she hasn't reciprocated anything. And yet today she has been flirting with him. Why?"

"I thought you would be happy to see her getting along with Prince Arthur," she replied evenly, as she herded Mordred toward their own boat.

Balinor gave her a look. "We both know our daughter too well. She never gives in this easily, not on matters that are…truly important to her. I know that you are just as suspicious of her sudden choice to flirt."

"She also keeps her promises, Balinor. She did promise me that she would allow him to court her."

"Yes, but this is more than simply allowing him to court her. She is actively participating. It worries me."

Hunith sighed. "I don't know what she's planning."

* * *

Uther clenched the sides of the boat so hard that his knuckles had turned white. Ygraine looked at her husband and sighed. She had never understood his aversion to magic. But then, she knew that he couldn't see the magic in the world around him, he couldn't see the beauty in magic.

Perhaps he would begin to be able to see it after tonight.

"Uther, relax."

The king of Camelot scowled. "Do the boats have to be propelled by sorcery?" he demanded.

"It certainly is more efficient." Uther simply gave her a quelling look, which she ignored with another sigh. "It's nothing to be feared, love. And it truly is efficient. Why shouldn't they utilize their talents?"

"It's unnatural."

Anger flared in her. "Need I remind you, Uther Pendragon, that our daughter possesses this so-called 'unnatural' talent? Do you think of her as unnatural as well?" she hissed. She loved her husband dearly, but there were times that he could be a hypocritical ass.

Uther looked taken aback. She rarely got angry with him. "Morgana is different. She doesn't have -"

"Not yet," she interrupted sharply. "She doesn't have magic _yet_ , but I am certain that she will at some point. And probably sooner rather than later. Gaius told us that seers nearly always develop magical abilities eventually, along with their visions. Morgana has the same gift as Princess Merlin, our future _daughter-in-law_. Our future grandchildren will more than likely inherit that gift as well. It's past time that you learn to accept magic for the force of good that it usually is. So, dear husband of mine, I would suggest that you relax and observe this ceremony with an open mind and the respect that such a sacred event deserves. Or you may just find a rather cold bed awaiting you for some time."

Uther stared at her.

* * *

Arthur didn't understand it. One day, she was acting like she hated him. Then she was allowing him to flirt with her, then she was hating him again. And now _she_ was flirting with _him_? She was up to something, he was almost certain of it. And it made him afraid to flirt back in case it was a trap of some kind. He felt like he was walking on eggshells whenever she was around. It confused him. And yet...he found himself rather intrigued by it. She was a puzzle to him. A puzzle that he wanted to figure out.

She was quiet now, as they glided over the lake. After the feast, she had disappeared inside the castle for quite some time, only to return wearing an over-sized cloak. It covered nearly every inch of her body, with the exception of her face and slender hands. He assumed the cloak had a purpose in the ritual, but he couldn't fathom what.

He wasn't sure what to say to her. Should he compliment the gown she'd worn for the feast? It had been startlingly beautiful on her, complimenting her delicate skin tone. And the sapphires in her black hair…their sparkle had matched the one in her eyes. He'd found it rather difficult to look away from her during the course of the feast.

But Arthur had no idea if she would even believe his compliments. She was so different from all the other girls he'd flirted with in his life. He didn't think he could trust his instincts with Merlin. She'd probably get angry if he told her that he thought she'd looked beautiful tonight.

Suddenly, Merlin sat up straight, causing the boat to rock slightly. She grinned. "Well, well. Don't they look adorable together. That's rather unexpected."

Arthur followed her gaze. In a nearby boat sat Morgana's maid, Guinevere. She was accompanied by a young man with olive skin and smooth brown hair. They seemed to be having a nice conversation. They almost looked they were...flirting with each other. "Who is he?" It was obvious that the two of them had made an instant connection. He had always considered Guinevere a friend, and he only wanted what was best for her.

"A very attractive young man. I rather enjoy his company." She sighed dramatically. "Such a shame that he has set his sights on someone else, apparently. He would have made a wonderful lover."

"Merlin," Arthur practically growled, momentarily forgetting to use her title. He wasn't sure what Avalon's laws were regarding adultery, but he knew Camelot's. "You can't take a lo-"

"Don't fret," she told him, rolling her eyes. "I'm only joking. I know that adultery is illegal in Camelot. It is in Avalon as well. I will remain faithful to my darling husband for the remainder of my life, no matter my personal feelings towards him." Her voice dripped with bitterness.

Arthur didn't know how to respond to that. He had been very careful not to think about _that_ aspect of their future marriage. They would be expected to produce heirs, of course, which would require intimacy. And with the laws against adultery preventing either of them from finding pleasure in others if they didn't find it in each other…Well, it would be nice to be able to at least somewhat enjoy the process.

Merlin sighed before speaking again. Arthur was relieved that he didn't have to respond. "His name is Lancelot. He arrived in Avalon just a few days before you did. He's just passing through. He's planning to join the knights of Camelot, actually. It's been a dream of his for a long time now."

Arthur looked back at Lancelot, studying his stature. He didn't particularly _look_ like a knight, but looks could be deceiving. Merlin didn't look like a princess most of the time. "Is he any good?"

She narrowed her eyes. "Are you considering taking him?"

"Is there a reason that I shouldn't?"

"Doesn't Camelot have some ridiculous Knight's Code? Something about knights only being from noble families? I hadn't had the heart to tell him. We've become decent friends since he's arrived, and he really does want to become a knight, though I don't understand why. I've yet to see any worthwhile traits in knights."

He shook his head, choosing to ignore her insult. He had a feeling that she had made it mostly just to annoy him. "That part of the Knight's Code no longer exists. I take men on their merit, not their heritage. So, is he any good?"

"I've only seen him practice a few times, but he seems to know what he's doing. He certainly has the heart for it."

"Then I'd be happy to let him try."

They fell quiet then, each lost in their own thoughts. Before the silence could get too awkward, fortunately, their boat pulled itself ashore. Arthur stepped out and turned to help her out. But she was already stepping onto the rocks herself. Then she brushed past him without a single glance in his direction.

After a moment of hesitation, Arthur walked toward where his parents were following after the king, queen, and prince of Avalon.

"Well," a voice said into his ear. Morgana had managed to sidle up behind him without him noticing. "It didn't look like the princess wanted to kill you or knock you flat on your ass. I'd call that progress."

"She's been flirting with me all evening."

"I thought that was what she was doing at the feast. I wasn't sure if I was interpreting it correctly. Do you know why?"

Arthur shrugged, too busy watching his surroundings to really pay attention to his sister at the moment. And he had no idea why Merlin was suddenly flirting with him, so he didn't have an answer for Morgana. He had never seen the Valley of Wings, though he had heard the rumors of its beauty. The rumors, he soon realized, had not done it justice. The Valley was absolutely gorgeous.

But he didn't see any dragons.

"Shouldn't there be dragons at a dragonlord ritual?" he asked his sister.

"I think I know where they are. You'll see," she responded, just as Princess Merlin approached a large waterfall.

And walked right through it.

Arthur's eyes widened. "We're to walk through a waterfall?" he asked, even though the answer was blatantly clear. King Balinor, Queen Hunith, and Prince Mordred had already gone through, and his own parents were following.

Morgana laughed, pulling her brother under the water.

The moisture seemed to part around him, leaving him dry as he stepped through. Of course, magic. He should have known that they would be able to walk right through a waterfall without actually getting wet.

The sight that greeted him was breathtaking. There were dragons everywhere, of all sizes and colors. It was amazing. There were several large nests, filled with eggs. And the eggs were in a variety of colors and sizes, even shapes, almost as if the nests were shared by dragons. Some were more oval than others. There was even a bluish-white one that was tear-drop shaped. Arthur had never seen anything like it.

A bald man in a long robe and a beautiful young woman stood in the middle of the meadow. Merlin was already walking toward them, as the guests and witnesses moved to a grouping of rocks shaped like benches. Arthur highly doubted they had been formed naturally. They were too perfectly shaped.

Arthur felt a shudder run through him. Something about this place…It was beyond magical.

He glanced to his right as he sat, where his father was. And yes, it was obvious to Arthur that even Uther Pendragon could feel some of the magic in this meadow. For once, he didn't seem scared of the power.

Then he looked back at Merlin, where she knelt in front of the man and woman. They could only be the High Priest and High Priestess of the Old Religion, meant to oversee the dragonlord ritual.

"Who are you to try to claim the rights and responsibilities of a dragonlord?" the woman began, her voice strong.

Despite the fact that her head was bowed, Merlin's voice when she replied was loud and clear across the meadow. "I am Merlin Emrys, daughter of magic, servant of the Triple Goddess, and kin to the dragons."

Thunder clapped at her statement, though the sky remained blue and clear. There was a feeling of magic thick in the air. Arthur knew that he should feel intimidated by that much power surrounding him. Instead, he felt safe and warm. The magic was not to be feared.

"The Triple Goddess approves. Arise, Merlin Emrys, and claim your role as a true dragonlord," the man instructed.

Merlin stood, shedding her cloak as she did.

Arthur gasped. If he'd thought she had looked beautiful at the feast, it was nothing compared to now. Her gown…it looked as though it had been spun from gold. It hung only to her knees, leaving her calves bare and exposed. And yet, despite the very short length, it didn't seem scandalous. She wore thin slippers on her feet, also in a gold color. The dress came rather low on her neck, and had nothing more than thin straps for sleeves.

But her skin…her skin was painted in tones of gold, in a pattern of overlapping scales. Every exposed inch - except for her face, hands, and feet - had been painted like scales. He could see the symbolism. She was kin to the dragons. She certainly looked the part.

"Beautiful," Arthur whispered, as he watched her begin to leisurely walk through the meadow, her movements causing the fading sunlight to shimmer brilliantly on her skin. Her eyes were half-closed, as though she was being guided more by her feelings than any of her physical senses. He wondered what was going through her mind. He knew that the power that he sensed was only a small portion of the actual magic in the area. Merlin looked like an ethereal being, and he was sure that she had a much stronger connection to the magic than he did. She nearly looked to be _made_ of the magic.

"This is amazing," Morgana breathed.

Arthur merely nodded in response. He didn't have the words to even attempt a verbal reply at the moment. He could see that Merlin was moving with purpose now, having apparently decided which egg she would hatch. And Arthur, somehow, knew which egg she had chosen. He knew which one she would reach for, which one she would cradle in her hands as if it were the most precious thing in the world. He knew which egg she would call out to.

* * *

It was like a whisper in her head. Not a whisper of words. This was beyond words. This was magic. Pure, raw magic.

Nothing around her mattered anymore, only the egg which reached out to her, the dragon which waited to be called forth from its shell. She didn't care about all the people watching her. She hardly even noticed that they were there. She didn't care about the paint on her skin, and the way that it itched.

She approached one of the smaller nests and leaned down.

She gingerly took the egg into her hands, admiring its smooth bluish-white surface. It was shaped like a tear, as though it had been brought into this world in sorrow and darkness. But now, Merlin had a chance to bring this beautiful creature into the light.

A slow smile pulled at her lips, as the dragon's name came to her, the name that would bring the dragon out of its egg. "I name you Aithusa, Light of the Sun," she called loudly, feeling a gentle pull in her soul. An invisible thread seemed to connect her to the tiny creature hidden within the shell, the beginning of the bond that they would form.

The egg began to tremble in her hands, but she didn't let go, not even when shards flew off. She stared, rapt with awe, as a little white snout peeked out. And then the rest of the shell was being thrown off, and Merlin held the newly hatched Aithusa in her palms.

Her kin, her sister.

Alator and Nimueh both bowed their heads. "Welcome, Aithusa," they intoned together.


	5. Five: Camelot

**CHAPTER FIVE: CAMELOT**

Merlin watched forlornly as her belongings were loaded into a handcart, to be taken down to the boats. Where she would soon be joining them. She knew that she would be able to return to her home kingdom in a year, for the wedding ceremony. But she wasn't sure if that would be the last time that she would be able to see her beloved Avalon.

She didn't look up as someone entered her chambers. She didn't need to. She recognized the footsteps. "I don't want to go, Mother," she whined. Her mother had never approved of her whining. She didn't care. This was a situation that deserved some whining. Why should she have to leave her home to court a man that she didn't even want to marry? He wasn't as awful as he had first seemed to be, but that did not mean that she wanted to be wed to him.

Hunith wrapped her arms gently around Merlin, being mindful of the dragon hatchling draped across her shoulders. Aithusa, being so young, rarely left Merlin's person. The dragon had almost become an accessory. "I understand, Merlin. Truly, I do. But I believe that you will find a home in Camelot."

"And do you also believe that I will find a home in Prince Arthur?" she added bitterly, hearing what her mother wasn't saying.

"Perhaps."

Merlin sighed heavily. "I know that royalty doesn't always have the luxury, but I'd hoped that I could marry for love, and not just duty."

"That may still be a possibility."

Merlin snorted. "I don't see how I could ever love that prat."

The queen chuckled. "You may be surprised. I believe that King Uther and Queen Ygraine disliked each other, in the beginning of their courtship. First impressions are not always accurate. Perhaps there is more to Arthur than you know. Give him a chance. Get to know him. Princes, especially ones in line to inherit a throne, have a tendency to hide their true selves."

She chose not to argue. It wouldn't do her any good. And, of course, there was just the slightest possibility that her mother was right. "Do I have to go?" she whined instead. "I don't see why I have to spend the next year in Camelot, anyway. I think I should stay here until the wedding, then I should go to Camelot. There's no reason for me to go just yet."

"Merlin."

"What?"

"You're going."

Merlin huffed and followed the servants pulling her possessions to the boats. She grumbled to herself the entire way, ignoring her mother's soft reprimands to stop. Almost as soon as she saw the small crowd of people at the boats, she stopped and stared. "Freya? Uncle Gaius?" Her confused gaze flickered between the two of them. "What are you both doing here?"

Gaius smiled at her, pulling her into a warm hug. Her mother's uncle had always given nice hugs. And he'd always tried to give her the best advice that he could. She respected his opinion. "I'm getting rather old, my dear. Surely you've noticed that I took on an apprentice last year. I am giving up my position as court physician of Avalon."

"Yes, I knew that you had taken on an apprentice, but -"

"I'm coming with you. I may be too old to serve the entire castle, but I believe I'm not too old to handle being _your_ personal physician whilst you are in Camelot."

Hunith chuckled. "I wouldn't be too certain about that, Uncle. With the amount of trouble she manages to get herself into..." the queen trailed off, shaking her head.

Merlin sighed, rolling her eyes. She wasn't upset, of course. She knew that her mother didn't mean it in a rude way. Her mother was usually a very somber woman, but she had moments where she chose to tease her children.

"And of course," Freya added, smiling gently, "you'll be needing a handmaiden of your own, one you know and trust. We can't have one of those Camelot maids serving our Avalonian princess."

Merlin smiled at them both. It did make this a bit easier, having familiar faces with her. She would also be taking a group of sorcerer-guards, of course, but she wasn't really friends with any of them. Not true friends, at any rate. And while she didn't actually _need_ a handmaiden, as she was more than capable of caring for herself, she would need a friend. Freya had always been a dear friend to her.

She looped her arm through Freya's, still smiling gently. "Thank you," she said quietly. She truly was grateful for this. At least she wouldn't be completely alone in a foreign land.

Hunith gave her one final hug, and then Merlin was climbing into the boat. The Pendragons and their servants had already gone across the lake. She was glad to have a bit more time without them. She would be spending the next few days trapped in a carriage with them.

Merlin was quiet as they drifted over the water, Aithusa resting in her lap. She stroked the young dragon's back, watching her home get smaller.

But it wasn't her home, not anymore. Her new home would be Camelot, a kingdom she had never set foot in before. A kingdom that she'd heard was loud and bustling, quite unlike the quiet solemnity of Avalon. She was quite certain she would hate it. She enjoyed the quiet and peace of her kingdom.

"Goodbye," she whispered.

* * *

Arthur watched Merlin clamber ungracefully into the coach. He chuckled quietly to himself. Was she physically incapable of being graceful? He should have been irritated by that fact, and yet…he was finding it oddly endearing. And he supposed she did have moments of grace. During training, she'd moved in an elegant fashion. And then at her dragonlord ritual...She had nearly been the personification of grace.

He followed after her, glad that his parents weren't going to be traveling in the same carriage as he and Merlin were. He wasn't particularly thrilled to have the old man and the maid there as well, but it wouldn't be proper for him and Merlin to be traveling alone in the carriage. And they were much better chaperones than his parents.

He sat across from Merlin, watching her. She was looking out the window, absently stroking her little dragon. She had dressed in simple leggings and an intricate tunic, though this time, her feminine figure wasn't hidden underneath the clothes. Somehow, the clothes - instead of making her look more like a man - actually accentuated her figure more than the gowns he'd seen her wear. The gowns which she appeared to hate with a passion.

He couldn't help but feel sorry for her. He was still not entirely happy with this arranged marriage, but he knew that the situation was even less appealing to her. She was being forced to leave her home, her family, her friends. She was leaving everything behind. And it wasn't her own choice. He doubted she would ever truly be happy with him in Camelot.

"It's a beautiful dragon," he said, and it was the truth. The creature was solid white, its scales almost pearly.

Merlin scowled slightly. " _It's_ a she," she snapped, not looking at him.

He gritted his teeth, but didn't allow himself to snap back at her. That wouldn't solve anything. And he wanted to at least attempt to make this match work. Even if there was no chance of it being a loving match, he could at least try to make it a civil one. "How can you tell the gender?" He really was curious. In the Valley of Wings, he had seen dozens of dragons, but he hadn't been able to determine the gender of any of them. They all looked the same to him.

Merlin gave him a strange look. "Uh, the males have male parts and the females have female parts, like any other species. Obviously."

"Merlin," Gaius reprimanded. Then he looked at Arthur and explained, "Both male and female dragon genitalia remain sheathed until they are ready to mate. The eggs are fertilized inside the female's body, much like with humans. Instead of giving birth to a live offspring, though, the dragon lays a fertilized egg."

"Thank you for that information," the prince said stiffly, feeling warmth flood his face. He hadn't been expecting an answer quite so...thorough. He should have known better, though. Gaius had visited Camelot several times throughout his life. And the physician had always been quite frank about such things.

Silence filled the carriage then. Arthur sighed, looking out the same window Merlin was. This was going to be a long, awkward, three-day journey.

* * *

Hunith wrapped her arms around her waist as she stared out the window in the direction of Camelot. She knew her daughter wasn't there yet - it had only been a day since she had left. She hoped that Merlin would like it there, eventually. She just hoped it would be sooner rather than later. Hunith remembered her own move to Avalon. She had come from a very small kingdom, Ealdor. To her, Avalon had been so beautiful that she had hardly missed her home. Then again, she had never quite felt at home in Ealdor. She had always felt like an outcast, so the move hadn't been a particularly difficult one.

Merlin, however, loved Avalon. It would be quite difficult for her to be parted from her beloved kingdom.

There was a knock on her chamber door. "Come in," Balinor called from his desk.

Hunith turned to see Nimueh enter and curtsy. "Your Majesties," she greeted. "I apologize for intruding so late in the evening, but I've been urged by the Triple Goddess to bring comfort to you."

"The Triple Goddess?" Their deity rarely sent messages to those who did not serve her directly. Even though Hunith had not grown up worshiping the Triple Goddess, she knew that this was a rare occasion indeed.

Nimueh inclined her head. "Yes, my lady. I know you fear that your daughter will be unhappy in Camelot, but that is not her destiny. Have you heard the term 'Albion'?"

Frowning, Hunith shook her head and looked toward her husband. Unlike him, she had not grown up in this kingdom, hearing all of the myths and prophecies that Avalon was built on. There were many terms that she had not heard that she knew he probably had.

Balinor, who had been writing a speech, set down his quill and stared at Nimueh. He steepled his fingers. "A few times. It is said that a young king will unite the kingdoms in peace, creating one kingdom, known as Albion. Most people believe this is a myth."

"It is not a myth, King Balinor. It is destiny. The young king is Arthur Pendragon. But he is only one half of a coin. The legends of Albion rarely mention the other half, despite the face that he cannot fulfill his destiny without his other half. He cannot do it without Merlin. They were meant to be together. They were meant to be united to create the kingdom of Albion, but the Triple Goddess would not expect them to do this without making it possible for them to be happy together."

Hunith bit her lip. She'd always known that her daughter was special, but to be burdened with a destiny so great? "Why are you telling us this now? Why not sooner?"

"The Triple Goddess instructed me not to tell you until now. I do not know her motives. But Merlin and Arthur…They will do much together, side-by-side. They are two sides of the same coin, and one cannot hate that which makes it whole. It may take them time, but they will learn to be happy. Your daughter is going to the place where she is needed most. She will thrive there."

Hunith smiled warmly at the priestess. "Thank you," she said sincerely. She had always wanted what was best for her daughter. She was indeed comforted to know that she and her husband had made the right decision when they arranged the marriage with Prince Arthur.

* * *

She hated him.

Well, hate was a strong word, she supposed. She didn't really hate him. But he did annoy her, immensely. The prat spent the entire journey either asking her ridiculously stupid questions, or trying to convince her that Camelot was a wonderful place to live and that she would love it here.

As if he knew the first thing about her. How did he know what she would and wouldn't love? He acted as though everyone should love Camelot simply because he did. Well, she didn't love it. She hated it, on principle. She'd never even seen the kingdom, but she was determined to hate it.

Except, she couldn't.

She realized that as soon as she saw the bustling city that surrounded the castle.

It was gorgeous.

She'd never seen any place so full of life. Avalon was full of magic, which was a sort of life in its own way, but Camelot…Camelot was full of _humanity_. It was stunning. It was beautiful.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Arthur asked, as they climbed out of the carriage, into the main courtyard of the castle.

She pursed her lips, refusing to reveal that she was indeed impressed. She didn't need him acting any more smug than he already was. "Not particularly. I prefer the beauty of nature. It's too…loud here." That statement wasn't entirely true. She did love nature, that was true. But she was finding that she loved the noise, too. It was exhilarating to be surrounded by so much sound, so much activity, so much life.

She heard the prince sigh. "I am sure that you will grow to love it," he replied stiffly.

She snorted. She wasn't going to admit to him that she did think it was beautiful. He would just find some way to take credit for it, the pompous ass.

"Would you like a tour of the castle?" he asked.

"Not at the moment. I'd really just like to lie down for a bit."

Arthur nodded, holding out his hand toward her. "Then I will show you to your chambers, Princess Merlin."

"Just Merlin, please," she insisted, allowing him to lead her into the castle. She had always titles.

As they walked, Arthur talked. "Your chambers are located in the same wing as mine, so never hesitate to ask if you need anything. The wing opens to a large field, which Aithusa will be able to enjoy. And, of course, there is a series of caves below the castle where she -"

"Caves?" Merlin interrupted. " _Below_ the castle? For a _dragon_?"

He frowned at her, as though there was nothing wrong with putting a dragon in caves below a castle. "I assure you that they are large enough for her. Your father's dragon, Kilgharrah, could comfortably fit in there. Aithusa will have no troubles."

She shook her head, irritated. Caves? "It has nothing to do with the _size_ , prat. Did you not see the Valley of Wings? Dragons don't live in _caves_. They live out in the open, where they can fly freely. I will not force Aithusa to live in caves. It's disgraceful to her species. I refuse to do that. What kind of a dragonlord would I be if I allowed that?"

"I will…have to speak to my father. He may not…I will see what I can do."

She nodded, grateful that he was willing to at least try to make concessions for her. Perhaps he wasn't quite as arrogant as he first seemed. She hoped he would be able to convince his father to make some other sort of accommodations for Aithusa, otherwise, she was going to have an interesting conversation with the king of Camelot. Because this was something that she would not simply give in on.

"Your father hasn't placed my chambers in the underground caves as well, has he?" She couldn't help the sarcasm that crept into her voice as she asked. She knew that Uther wouldn't dare put _her_ under the castle, but she was still irritated that he would do that to a _dragon_.

Dragons were creatures of the sky. Why would anyone think it would be a good idea to house one of the majestic creatures in _underground caves?_

"Of course not. Your chambers, as I said earlier, are in the same wing as mine. There is a room attached for your maid, if you choose to have her stay there. Otherwise, there have been rooms prepared for her just across the hall. Whichever you prefer."

Merlin nodded. They walked in silence after that. A very awkward silence.

Compared to Merlin's home, the castle of Camelot was huge. She doubted that she would be able to navigate these halls without getting hopelessly lost. Of course, this thought brought with it a pang of homesickness. She missed her own castle, which knew like the back of her hand. She could meander through the halls without a second thought. At home, she could look out any window and see the lake. Here, all she saw was stone or homes or shops. She missed the green grass, the blue water. She missed her parents. She even missed her obnoxious younger brother.

At least her chambers in Camelot were quite nice. And the view outside the window, surprisingly, didn't include any stone or homes or shops.

It was a meadow, a fairly large one. This must have been the field Arthur had mentioned earlier. So she would be able to sit in her room and watch Aithusa play outside. The chambers themselves were warmly decorated in shades of blue. She was pleasantly surprised that they weren't filled with Camelot red. There was enough of that throughout the rest of the castle. She didn't need it in her personal space as well. She'd always loved blue, and not simply because it was the color of her own kingdom. Blue was a color of freedom and serenity to Merlin. The blue of the wide open sky, the blue of the peaceful lake.

Arthur gestured to the room. "The servants will have your possessions brought up shortly. If you require anything -"

"I'll be fine," she interrupted. "Thank you."

"I will let you rest, then." With that, he left.

Merlin closed the door with a sigh. She was still struggling to come to terms with the fact this would be her home for the rest of her life.

She sighed again, and flopped onto the bed in a decidedly unladylike manner. Then she groaned, because it was, by far, the most comfortable bed she had ever laid on. It was even more comfortable than her bed in Avalon.

Perhaps living in Camelot wouldn't be _too_ terrible.

* * *

"Do you think she'll eventually learn to be happy here?" Ygraine asked, watching the courtyard below. They had arrived in Camelot nearly three hours earlier, and she hadn't seen Princess Merlin since she had gone into the castle with Arthur. She hadn't looked particularly happy, either, which wasn't the most promising sign.

Morgana looked up from the flower arrangement she was putting together. "I don't know, Mother. She has a wild spirit."

"And a spirit such as hers should not be tamed."

Morgana chuckled softly. "I highly doubt _that_ will happen, Mother. I don't think she can be tamed. Nor should she be. She may be wild, but I feel that's a good thing. She will be a good balance for Arthur. She should be able to get him to loosen up a bit. He's too much like Father."

Ygraine fixed her daughter with a stern gaze, though she knew it would do her no good. "Morgana," she warned. Her daughter and her husband did not always see eye-to-eye. In fact, they rarely did. Morgana often insulted her father, which she knew her mother did not approve of.

"What? Father is…He can be harsh, Mother. You know that."

"He does what his kingdom needs." Morgana was right, though. Uther had a tendency to let his logic be overruled by his temper at times. But he did try to be fair and just, and Camelot did need a firm ruler for the time being. Uther could be harsh, but he was not cruel.

"I just think that he gets a bit too harsh sometimes. I think Camelot would thrive even more if Father would be more merciful."

Ygraine knew Morgana was correct, again. Uther wasn't a bad king. But Arthur…Arthur would be a remarkable king. And with Merlin by his side, Camelot would flourish like it never had before. Ygraine was clever enough to see that. She would never say any of it aloud, however. Some things were better left unsaid.

"Your brother does try far too hard to be like your father. He is his own person, and I wish he would act like it more often. I hope that Princess Merlin will be able to coax him into being true to his own heart."

Morgana smirked. "And perhaps she can knock some of that arrogance out of him."

"Your father was the same way when I first met him. Arrogant and prideful. It drove me mad." The queen sighed and stood, smoothing the front of her gown. "At any rate, I believe that Arthur will make a very fine king someday, and Merlin a fine queen. I plan to make it my personal goal to make her as comfortable here as possible. I want her to feel as though this is her home, too."

Morgana smiled. "If anyone can do that, it's you, Mother."

* * *

Arthur tried to feel as confident as he made himself look as he made his way toward Merlin's chambers. She had missed the evening meal.

He was sure that she missed her home and that she probably didn't want any company for the time being, but he wanted to make certain that she was well cared for while she was in Camelot. He may not have been able to help her much with her emotional needs at the moment, but at least he could make sure her physical ones were met.

He balanced the tray on one hand and knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" Merlin called.

Perhaps he could lift her spirits slightly. He could at least try, anyway. "It is destiny, my love," he replied.

And then he wanted to kick himself. That wasn't the least bit funny. _Destiny_? _My_ _love_? What had he been thinking? She practically hated him as it was. "Destiny and chicken," he added, in an attempt to save the conversation.

A very poor attempt. He really should just stop talking altogether. He was just making himself sound more and more like a fool.

Merlin opened the door slowly, giving him a strange look. She didn't speak. She simply quirked an eyebrow at him.

"What a beautiful combination, eh?"

He _really_ should stop talking.

She snorted. "You're an _idiot_ ," he told him, but the corners of her lips were starting to quirk upward.

He felt himself grinning slightly in response. At least he had managed to get a small smile out of her, even if he made himself look ridiculous in the process. It was progress. He hoped. "I just thought that you might be hungry. You missed the evening meal."

"I didn't feel inclined to sit with a room full of strangers to eat." She studied him for a moment, before opening the door widely and stepping aside. Taking that as an invitation, Arthur entered and placed the tray on her dining table.

"Your father doesn't like magic at all, does he?"

Arthur sighed, not looking at her as he answered. "Not particularly. He doesn't trust it."

"And yet he has arranged for you to marry _me_?"

"I don't think he realizes just how powerful you are."

She tilted her head in curiosity. "And you _do_ realize just how powerful I am?"

He didn't like the slight smirk he heard in her voice. "Morgana has heard rumors that you can perform spells without actually saying the words. I'm sure that's an exaggeration. It's impossible to -"

He broke off when her smirk became visible, and then the cutlery began carving the chicken on its own. The goblet was filled with watered wine. The fire roared to life.

Merlin's eyes glowed golden. She hadn't moved a single muscle, and her lips were tightly closed.

The rumors hadn't been exaggerated.

Arthur gulped. It was a bit nerve-racking to see such a show of power, but he was more concerned for her. "It would be best if you didn't do that around my father."

With an irritated sigh, she dropped her spells. "Wonderful," she muttered sarcastically. "I'm stuck here for the rest of my life, and I can't be myself? I suppose you're afraid of magic as well. Just my luck. My future husband is not only an arrogant prat, but he is also scared of me and my mag-"

"I am not scared," he cut in. "I understand magic better than my father does. My father…He mistrusts that which he doesn't understand. If Morgana didn't -" he cut himself off. His father didn't like him or Morgana talking about her abilities.

Then again, this was his bride-to-be. She would learn the truth eventually. "If Morgana didn't have some magical abilities herself, Father would be even more mistrustful of magic, I believe. He views it almost as a weapon that can be wielded, a weapon that he has no defense against. Magic makes him feel vulnerable, and when he feels vulnerable, his judgment isn't always the most sound."

"Morgana has magic?"

"Not exactly. She has visions, which I understand aren't quite the same thing."

Merlin's eyes widened. "Your sister is a seer? Oh, the Triple Goddess has given her a great honor by giving her that gift."

"It took Gaius quite a while to convince her of that fact. He still hasn't been able to convince my father."

" _My_ Uncle Gaius?" She huffed and rolled her eyes. "Of course. I've always wondered where he went when he left Avalon. He never would tell me. Apparently, he was here, with your sister?"

"Yes. He taught her how to better understand her visions. My father swore him to secrecy. He does not like to talk about the fact that Morgana has any connection to magic. Especially considering the fact that she may develop magic later on."

"I see. Well, thank you for the food. I will be sure to join you tomorrow for the meal."


	6. Six: Damsel in Distress

**CHAPTER SIX: DAMSEL IN DISTRESS**

Merlin sighed as she wrapped her cloak tightly around herself. She couldn't believe that she had allowed herself to be talked into this. It was an awful, boring idea. She knew it would - could - only end in disaster, what with her incurable clumsiness.

Horseback riding.

With Prince Arthur.

He had somehow managed to convince her to let him teach her how to ride. She still wasn't entirely sure how. If she didn't know better, she would suspect him of enchanting her. Magic seemed the only possible explanation for why she would be talked into something as ridiculous as riding on the back of a horse.

But of course Arthur Pendragon would never resort to using sorcery.

She glared at the tall, dark brown beast in front of her. She knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she was going to make a fool of herself the moment she tried to mount the stupid creature.

"She won't bite," a male voice said into her ear.

She jumped and looked behind her. Prince Arthur had approached from where he had been preparing to mount his own horse. Apparently, he had decided to help her instead. She narrowed her eyes. "I'm not sure I believe that," she muttered. The animal was enormous, and there was a mean glint in her large brown eyes. "She's giving me a look."

Arthur chuckled a little at that. "That's nonsense. Llamrei is the gentlest soul you'll ever meet. Now, Hengroen, he's a nasty one." He inclined his head toward his own steed.

"Why don't you use a different horse, then?" She didn't understand why he would want to use an animal who would give him trouble. He was the prince. He could have any horse he chose. And he chose one with a nasty streak?

A small smile pulled at his lips. "He may have a mean streak, but he is fiercely loyal. I wouldn't trust a different horse the way I trust Hengroen." The fondness was abundantly clear in his voice.

"Hmm." She was a little surprised that he was willing to keep an ornery horse. She'd thought that he would care more about efficiency than loyalty. Most knights seemed to have that philosophy. Perhaps she had misjudged the prince.

"Would you like help up?" he asked.

Merlin bit her lip. "I can do it on my own," she insisted. She knew it was a ridiculous thing to say, as she most certainly could not do it on her own. She'd never ridden a horse in her life. Just the _idea_ of riding on one terrified her. She could barely keep herself balanced on her own two feet, let alone a horse's backside.

And the mounting…That would certainly be the worst part, besides the dismounting, which was sure to be twice as awful. The back of the horse was a long ways up, and she didn't believe she could get up there without causing damage to herself. It was going to be a complete disaster.

Arthur arched an eyebrow at her, but didn't argue. He was even smirking, the arrogant prat. "By all means, Your Highness," he said, gesturing to Llamrei.

Glaring at him, she fumbled one foot into a stirrup and yanked herself up.

And right over the saddle.

Arthur, the ass that he was, laughed.

She turned to glare at him, and he did at least attempt to hide his amusement. That didn't mean that she forgave him for laughing in the first place, especially since he wasn't very good at hiding his amusement. She was glad that Freya hadn't seen that. Her maidservant was still in the castle, and had yet to join them. She and George would be accompanying the prince and princess on their ride, of course, as chaperones. George hadn't arrived yet, either. So the only witness to Merlin's latest embarrassment was Arthur himself.

With her lips pursed, she stood and brushed off her leggings - at least she'd had the foresight not to wear a dress or gown. _That_ would have been awful.

"Do you want some help now?" he questioned. She could still see a slight smirk on his face, though he at least seemed to be trying to conceal it.

Merlin huffed. Of course she didn't _want_ his help. But it was doubtful that she was going to be able to keep from making a bigger fool out of herself if she didn't accept his help. Allowing him to assist her was less damaging to her already bruised pride than another tumble would be.

She took a deep breath before nodding once.

Arthur was much more gentle as he helped lift her into the saddle than she had expected him to be. His large hands were warm against her waist, even through the fabric. He didn't release her right away, either. Instead, his hands lingered. And then he looked up at her.

 _Something_ passed between them in that moment. Merlin couldn't say what it was, exactly. But it was intense. She wasn't sure she liked it. It was almost...intimate.

"Thank you," she said, snatching the reigns to give herself something to do, anything to break the moment.

Arthur cleared his throat, stepping away from her horse slightly. "Right. Well, you're welcome." He quickly made his way to his own steed and mounted with a grace that Merlin envied. "George! Stop dawdling!"

The poor manservant had barely come down the castle's front steps with a basket when Arthur began his shouting. Merlin didn't particularly like him - he was the most dull human being she had ever met - but she didn't think that he deserved to be yelled at simply because Arthur was feeling uncomfortable.

* * *

Arthur knew he wasn't being particularly fair to George. His manservant hadn't done anything to deserve Arthur's irritation. It was just…Something had happened when he'd met Merlin's gaze, something intense and foreign and even a little frightening. He was trying to court her, of course, but he'd been expecting only hatred from her, not…whatever it was he'd seen in her eyes just then.

So he lashed out at George during their morning ride. It certainly wasn't the first time he'd taken his irritation out on his servant. Arthur had a tendency to lash out at others when he wasn't comfortable in a situation.

Merlin, for her part, complained constantly. She never stopped. It was equally annoying and endearing. It was obvious to Arthur that she had never gone riding in her life. She claimed that she had gone a couple of times, but he was starting to believe that was a lie.

He hadn't expected her to be a natural, obviously. But he had at least expected her to be able to stay upright on the horse. She'd nearly fallen off several times by the time they finally reached a suitable clearing to stop in. It wasn't the one Arthur had intended to get to, but they would be ridiculously late if they continued on with her slow and clumsy pace.

She had never actually fallen off the horse during their ride - Llamrei would never allow her rider to fall - though she had come rather close. Despite all of that, she never once asked for help or for him to slow down. She complained, oh, did she complain. But it seemed as though she didn't want to be seen as weak. He thought it was ridiculous. It was horseback riding, not battle. And she was a woman. It was perfectly normal for her to be less skilled than men at the physical things. It was also her first time riding, so she was bound to need help. He didn't understand why she wouldn't just ask for it.

Women.

They were so stubborn.

He glanced briefly at her as she cursed under her breath yet again. He could hear her just fine, and he was rather surprised to hear such coarse language from a lady. He knew he shouldn't have been. He had grown up with Morgana, after all, and she had a vocabulary that could rival many of his knights.

He wished Merlin hadn't worn those damn leggings, though. They fit her form a little too well, not leaving much to the imagination. And her tunic…Again, far too form-fitting to be appropriate. It was good that they were only accompanied by their servants, and she was wearing a long cloak for most of the ride.

"I'm hungry," he announced. "Are you hungry as well, Princess?"

She narrowed her eyes at him. "I suppose that depends. Are you going to continue being an ass to your servant?"

He opened his mouth to argue, but then closed it again. She was right, he had been an ass. He shook his head once, to indicate that he had every intention to change his behavior toward George.

"All right, then. I suppose I'm hungry." She pulled Llamrei to a stop behind Arthur. He swiftly dismounted and hurried to help her down.

She ignored his offered hand and struggled down from the animal on her own, somehow managing not to fall, if only barely. Shaking his head, Arthur took the basket from George's horse and began unloading it, beginning with the blanket.

* * *

Merlin glanced sideways at Arthur as she attempted to settle gracefully onto the blanket. She didn't succeed, of course. She ended up sort of flopping into a sitting position. Fortunately for her, nobody seemed to have noticed her blunder. George and Freya were sitting a little ways off, to give them some semblance of privacy. And the prince was occupied with his task of unloading the basket.

He had actually packed a meal. Well, she was sure he hadn't physically packed it himself, but he _had_ thought to have it packed for them. She hadn't been expecting a picnic. To be honest, she hadn't expected it to be anything like this. She had expected him to take her on a short ride through the castle's horse training grounds, not a leisurely stroll through the forest with a _picnic_.

He really did seem to be trying to court her. She just didn't understand why he was putting so much effort into it when neither of them had any choice in the matter, and neither of them had any attraction to each other. And why was he so damn calm about the whole situation? Nobody should be that calm about being forced into marriage.

"How do you feel about it?" she asked suddenly.

He barely glanced at her as he continued pulling food from the basket. "About what?"

"Us, the marriage."

He sighed, finally sitting down. He still didn't look at her. Why wouldn't he look at her? "It's my duty."

Merlin rolled her eyes. "Duty. What good is duty when it often leads to a miserable ruler? What good is a miserable ruler to his or her own people?"

He finally looked up. His eyebrows were drawn slightly, in confusion. "The needs of his people are more important than the feelings of the king. It's the king's responsibility to do what is best for his people. And sometimes - quite often, actually - that means making sacrifices in his own life."

"Yes, he has a responsibility to his people, but that doesn't mean that the king's feelings aren't important as well. A king can't entirely ignore his own feelings. They can become bitter if they never allow themselves to be happy. And too many bitter kings become tyrants."

Arthur shook his head. "Sometimes the people's needs simply must come first. Merlin, you may not realize it, but these are dangerous times. Tensions between kingdoms are rising, more battles are breaking out. Avalon and Camelot are small compared to our neighbors. We must have a solidly united front if we're to survive."

She found herself glaring at him, anger filling her chest. "Don't you dare," she practically growled at him. "Don't you dare assume that I don't recognize the dangers. I know exactly how dangerous it is. I probably understand the danger more than you do. My people, magic-users, are discriminated against in most kingdoms. In many, we are even persecuted. I'm sure you've heard of the Sarrum? He enjoys _hunting_ and _torturing_ my kind. I understand perfectly the importance of a treaty between our two kingdoms. That doesn't mean that I think the treaty should require us to be forced into a loveless marriage. How does a marriage benefit our kingdoms? We should be focusing on building up our defenses."

"Heirs," Arthur answered simply. "We _have_ been focusing on building up our defenses, since the day our fathers signed this treaty. But we need our kingdoms to be united as one. Eventually, they're going to become one powerful kingdom instead of two separate ones. Neither one is strong enough on its own. So, we need heirs that have a legitimate claim to both thrones."

Heat flooded Merlin's cheeks. She knew that she and Arthur would be expected to conceive nearly as soon as they were wed. But the idea of sharing such intimacy with someone she didn't love saddened and angered her. They would have beautiful children, she was sure. With Arthur's chiseled features and golden coloring and muscular build, how could they not? And she would love her future children, no matter what.

She just wanted to be able to love their father as well.

She had become so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't realize Arthur had started speaking again until he'd nearly finished his comment. "…doesn't always end in bitterness."

Merlin frowned at him, even though he wasn't even looking in her direction. He was staring at the blanket, picking at the edges of his tall boots. "I'm sorry, what did you say?"

He did look up at that. "You weren't listening?"

Was he blushing? She was fairly certain he was blushing. She shook her head. "I missed that last bit," she admitted. She wondered what in the world he could have been saying that would cause him to actually blush. Prince Arthur of Camelot _blushed_.

"I said -" he never did get to finish, because that was when they were attacked.

* * *

Arthur was stupid. He didn't know why he'd done it. He should have just stopped talking after he'd made his point about heirs. Why had he said that there was always a chance that theirs wouldn't be a loveless marriage? They could perhaps eventually become friends, but to actually fall in love?

Hardly.

Even becoming friends seemed rather unlikely at this point.

He tried to explain himself, even slightly. "I know it may not happen. There is every chance that we will never fall in love. There is every likelihood that we will never fall in love. I recognize that. However, my parents disliked each other in the beginning, and now they're madly in love. Duty doesn't always end in bitterness." He didn't want to see her reaction to his words, so he didn't look at her. He stared at the top of his boots. She already thought him a fool. He was sure he had just made it much, much worse.

"What did you say?"

His head snapped up at that. "You weren't listening?" He blushed at the mere thought of having to repeat any of that. He had sounded foolish enough the first time. He wasn't looking forward to doing it again.

Shaking her head, she said, "I missed that last bit."

Wait.

He didn't _have_ to repeat it. She hadn't even heard him. She didn't know what he'd said, so she obviously wouldn't know if he told her the truth about what he'd said. "I said -" he broke off, hearing something that didn't fit into their current surroundings.

The metallic snick of a sword.

Before he could do anything about it, they were surrounded by a dozen armed men.

Bandits.

"Freya," Merlin hissed under her breath.

Worried about his own servant, Arthur looked in the direction the two had been sitting. Only to see them both lying on the ground. From where he was, he couldn't tell if they were still breathing or not. He hoped that they were.

"Freya," Merlin said again, more of a gasp this time. She made a move, as though she were going to go check her servant's health. While he admired her concern, Arthur knew that she would get herself hurt or killed doing that, so he reached out and gripped her tunic to keep her in place.

"Don't," he muttered, looking up at the bandit who appeared to be in charge. He was a large brute, with an ugly scar running down the left side of his face.

"It must be our lucky day, boys. We've caught ourselves a couple of lovebirds." His eyes roved over Merlin's body, a leer pulling at his lips. "Kill the men. We'll have some fun with the girls."

Merlin grinned. It was a rather frightening grin, in Arthur's opinion. There was nothing genuine about it. There was something rather...dark about it, actually. "You should probably just leave. I wouldn't want to hurt any of you."

Arthur tried not to groan as the bandit leader laughed. He didn't look particularly cowed by her threat. And why should he? Merlin was a woman, and a wisp of one at that, pale and fragile-looking. She had no chance of causing damage to even one of these men, let alone all twelve of them.

"A feisty one. I'll enjoy breaking you."

Merlin leaned forward, despite Arthur's subtle attempts to pull her back. She narrowed her eyes into thin slits, her grin widening. "I'd like to see you try," she challenged fiercely.

The bandits roared with laughter.

It was probably the most foolish thing she could have said in the situation, even if Arthur did find it a little bit...attractive. He rather enjoyed that fierceness. "Merlin," he hissed. "Are you trying to get us both killed?"

Her only response was to snort and continue to glare defiantly at the large bandit in front.

Arthur had to do something. He doubted he would be able to talk them out of this situation, now that Merlin had opened her mouth. If she continued running her mouth, they would surely all end up dead. Arthur just needed to distract the men long enough for Merlin to slip away, then he could dispatch them all. Sure, he was outnumbered and outmatched, but he'd faced worse odds before and come out just fine.

Well, perhaps he'd never faced odds quite so bad before. He was still certain he could take them all.

He stood, drawing the attention of the bandits. Keeping his arms behind his back, he signaled for Merlin to leave. If she was smart, she'd follow his silent directions and start sneaking away. He focused on the men in front of him. "Leave," he commanded them. "Leave now, and I won't have you all arrested and sent to the dungeons of Camelot to rot for the rest of your miserable lives."

The leader sneered. "Under whose authority?"

Generally, he tried to keep his identity unknown when he was out and about. But for Merlin's sake, he felt it was better, in this case, to reveal who he was. "Under my authority, Prince Arthur."

Again, the leader laughed. "Prince Arthur? Our luck just keeps growing. A royal lovebird. What are you doing out here with a common whore? Does your beloved Avalonian princess know about your mistress?"

Arthur drew his sword. He knew it wasn't exactly the most intelligent move he could have made - he couldn't possibly fight all twelve at once - but how dare they insult Merlin that way? Even if he didn't like her all that much, he still wouldn't stand by while a princess was insulted.

At least he knew that Merlin had left, like he'd signaled for her to do. He was certain she would have said something in response to that, had she still been there.

"She is not a whore," he growled. "I suggest you retract that statement."

In a sudden move that Arthur was ashamed he'd not managed to stop, the leader had his sword pressed to Arthur's throat. The prince's own sword had been knocked to the ground. It had been years since he'd been bested in such a way. He was glad that Merlin had snuck away. How embarrassing would it have been for her to see that? "Or what, little prince?"

Behind him, there was a softly whispered word and twelve armed men dropped to the forest floor.

Spinning around, Arthur was stunned to see Merlin standing there, the tell-tale gold fading from her blue eyes.

He'd forgotten about her magic when he'd been strategizing. How could he have forgotten about her magic? He really was an idiot.

"What are you still doing here? I told you to leave."

"Oh, is _that_ what you were doing with your hands behind your back? Your hand signals are awful." She began making her way toward Freya and George, not looking at him as she did so. "And you're welcome, by the way. For saving your life."

Arthur hardly even heard her as he looked back at their would-be attackers. The bodies were unmoving. "You killed them," he murmured, more than a little surprised. He had been intending to do just that himself, of course, but he never would have imagined _Merlin_ doing it. And with magic.

She threw him a dirty look over her shoulder. "Of course I didn't kill them. I merely knocked them unconscious. They'll wake up in several hours with no memory of this encounter."

Shaking his head, Arthur followed Merlin. He had no doubt they would find their servants alive - something the leader had said soothed his fears on that front.

He watched Merlin kneel beside the two unconscious figures, her shoulders rigid. She clasped a wrist in each hand, a relieved sigh escaping her nearly immediately. "They're alive," she breathed.

"Why did you do it?" he asked. "Why did you knock them out?"

"Well, I wasn't going to kill them. They may be brutes, but they're still human. I don't believe in killing unless it's absolutely necessary."

"No. Why did you do it at all? I understand why you chose not to kill them. But why didn't you just let me handle it?"

She shrugged, moving to pack up their picnic. Neither of them had eaten any of the food, but it wasn't a very smart idea to stay when they had just been attacked. They could eat once they returned to Camelot. Or as they rode back. "You were outmatched and outnumbered. You never would have won. They were going to kill you."

"And then rape you."

Again, she snorted. "They never would have been able to lay a finger on me."

"Apparently," he said dryly. After her little display of power, he doubted her virtue would ever be in danger. She could defend herself from any threat that came her way, he was sure. "You could have allowed them to kill me, though." He watched her closely. He had a suspicion that she didn't hate him nearly as much as she pretended to.

She stared at him, horror in her eyes. "Why would I do that?"

Had the thought not even _occurred_ to her? Huh. That said a surprising amount about what kind of a person she was. "You can't marry a dead man," he calmly pointed out.

She huffed, rolling her eyes and shaking her head. "And a dead man can't rule a kingdom." After a few seconds, she quickly added, "So of course it's important that you remain alive. We can't have a civil war on our hands, which is exactly what would happen if you died."

Arthur frowned. That was a remarkably stupid comment from her. "There would be no civil war. Morgana would take the throne if something happened to me. And that would only be after my father passed away."

Merlin stiffened, and didn't answer for several long moments. Then she finally said, "And then Morgana would be the one forced into a loveless marriage. I would never do such a thing to her. I like her too much. But you, you're an arrogant prat and you deserve to suffer."

There was no heat in her words, so Arthur mostly ignored them. "So you saved me because you _don't_ like me?"

"Yes, that's right."

Arthur smirked to himself. "Liar," he muttered under his breath, so she couldn't hear him. She was starting to like him, even if she wouldn't admit it. They were making progress. He doubted they would ever have a love like that of his parents, but perhaps they could at least be friends.

* * *

Damnit.

Merlin was actually beginning to find herself slightly attracted to Prince Arthur, despite his arrogance. He had been willing to rush into a fight to defend her honor. It was undoubtedly stupid, but it was also sweet. He had tried to protect her. And he had seemed honestly offended that they had insulted her in such a way.

She would never admit to him that she hadn't wanted him to die for reasons that had absolutely nothing to do with keeping his kingdom from a civil war. The thought hadn't even crossed her mind until he'd decided to confront her about it.

She just...The idea of Arthur dying had scared her. Utterly terrified her. She didn't understand why. She really didn't like the prat. But she hated the thought of him dead.

She was _not_ going to fall in love with him. She wasn't. She was determined not to.

 _Damnit_.


End file.
